


Be the One (Sequel to Expect the Unexpected)

by FireflySummerwynd



Category: Poison (US Band)
Genre: Divorce, F/M, New Baby, Reconciliation, stadium tour, unexpected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:01:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 41,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29483370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireflySummerwynd/pseuds/FireflySummerwynd
Summary: Barely three weeks after the Birth of his second daughter–his third child in total–Rob hasta head out to Los Angelesta start tour rehearsals. After all, theStadium Tour'salready been postponed for nearly a Year due to theGodzilla Fluoutbreak. None of the bands wanna risk postponing it any longer, if it ain't absolutely necessary.Even though it's beyond high-risk, Mishy decidesta accompany him for at least said rehearsals. They haven't exactly been back together for long, and she's not quite ready to let him go, new baby or no.Can this seemingly Star-crossed, rock 'n' roll power couple manage to make it through and come out on top? After all, second chances like theirs're never guaranteed. Only Time'll truly tell, but one thing's for certain, if theyaregonna come outta this Insanity as a couple–the new mommy hasta let her Silver Foxbe the one.
Relationships: Bobby Dall/Mishy Dall





	1. One

_May, 2021_

_Los Angeles, California_

Barely three weeks after the Birth of his third, highly unexpected child–a second baby girl–fifty-seven-Year-old Rob _Bobby_ Dall found himself on the West Coast. The last Year’d been so confusing and Chaotic for him that it was enough to make a lesser man’s head spin like something outta _The Exorcist_. Considering all the good that’d come with the bad, though, he wouldn’t have it any other way–even an offer to go back in Time and Change the things that’d happened couldn’t convince him to.

He hadn’t been expecting his only son–thirty-Year-old Zak–to come down with the virus technically _still_ wreaking havoc across the Globe, but he was glad that he’d survived. As far as he was concerned, having to sit there and hold vigil at his bedside while he was in the ICU was pure hell, but it was better than the alternative. For that matter, quite a bit of what’d come _after_ his son was discharged to continue his recovery at home was pure hell. But it’d led to something he never woulda thought he’d get in a million Years, and he was more than thankful for that lil bit of suffering.

After getting the diagnosis that coulda left him burying a child, the Silver Fox’d gotten in touch with his ex-wife to let her know what was going on. She’d a right to hold vigil by their son’s bedside just as much as he did, after all, and he wasn’t gonna take that away from her. Maybe being in her presence at first hadn’t been what he’d wanted, but he’d quickly gotten over it and moved on.

That was the best thing that coulda happened to him, though, considering that–while it wasn’t immediate–it’d opened the door to a second chance with his ex. If he was ever gonna get over Mishy after their divorce, it no doubt woulda happened at some point in the twenty or so Years between that event and nearly losing her son. Second chances weren’t always guaranteed, and the fact that getting such a thing’d made him a daddy all over again was definitely something to be thankful for. Maybe having his third child at such an advanced age wasn’t something he’d have planned, but he wouldn’t give up baby Zeph for anything. Even a gun to his head or somebody offering him a million dollarsta do just that couldn’t get him to.

Only Death was gonna separate him from his family now, although they all hoped such an event wouldn’t happen for decadesta come.

It was for that reason that Rob and his ex-wife-turned-girlfriend had made the risky decision for her and their newborn daughter to join him in Southern California for the moment. His presence was required for tour rehearsals, considering that the highly-anticipated _Stadium Tour_ headlined by Mötley Crüe’d already been postponed for nearly a Year. None of the bands wanted to postpone it any longer, if they didn’t have to, but he also didn’t wanna give up Time with his new baby. Bringing Zeph out here with the virus still running rampant was a risky decision, but the couple wasn’t one to live in utter Terror for the rest of their breathing Days, either.

“What on Earth…?”

At the present moment, the Silver Fox was stretched out on a couch in the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, which was one of the last places this tour was taking them. Those on the roster this Time around had managed to book it as a rehearsal Space so they could get their Sound for the actual tour exactly the way they wanted it. God only knew that stadiums produced a different Sound, as opposed to an enclosed arena or an outdoor amphitheater. Nobody wanted to think they’d their Sound perfect, only to make fools of themselves on opening Night or anything even remotely similar.

But in being stretched out for a desperately-needed nap, he was completely unaware that not only had his own band mates just walked in, but so had an unexpected face. Former Poison multi-instrumentalist Richie Kotzen’d been approached about taking the slot that’d originally belonged to Joan Jett when she backed out due to _Godzilla Flu._ After all, while he might not’ve been the _best_ choice, he was certainly available for such a thing–he’d completely canceled his European tour that Spring, but the itch to get back on the road was one he needed to scratch. Beyond crossing paths backstage and on their way to and from their buses, it wasn’t like they’d to have anything to do with each other.

However, said solo musician hadn’t been informed of the Changes to his former band mate’s Life in the last Year. Walking in to see him stretched out on his back with his glasses on the top of his head, a bandana tied around it like a blindfold, and an unidentifiable mound on his chest was a bit surprising. But it was amusing to the rest of his former band mates, who all chuckled as they took in what they knew to be a precious sight.

“Is it bad for me to say that he looks adorable like that?” drummer Rikki Rockett chuckled, careful to keep his voice down.

“Is it even worse for me to agree with ya on that?” guitarist CC DeVille countered with a grin.

“Been a long Time since we’ve had a reason to see him like this, that’s for sure,” front man Bret Michaels said, a smile of his own curving his perpetually-pursed lips.

“Uh, care to Enlighten me?” The final man cocked a brow curiously. “’Cuz unless I’m mistaken, that’s a baby on his chest, but I can’t figure out why on Earth he’d have his grandbaby out here with him.”

“Oh, that’s not his grandbaby,” the tallest blonde snickered.

“We didn’t mention it before since he’s such a private guy, but he’s a new daddy–again,” the shortest informed him.

“You’re shitting me,” Richie chuckled. “Well, I’ll have to congratulate him once he’s awake and not at risk of taking anyone’s head off.”

“Yeah, it was definitely unexpected, to say the least,” the front man said. “Then again, so was everything else he’s been through in the last Year or so.”

“Breathe another word of my business, Michaels, and I’ma rip those expensive extensions right outta your head.”

Rikki and CC bit their lipsta avoid cracking up as their bassist suddenly sat up, both arms moving to cradle the lump that’d been stretched out on his chest. Moments later, one hand roseta his face so he could yank down the bandana he’d blindfolded himself with, the Dark Circles around his eyes evident. Still, other than overhearing them filling in the final man before he could grant permission, he looked ridiculously happy with his reason for being so exhausted.

Glancing up at the group as he let out a yawn, Rob was easily able to figure out which of his band mates were which as he felt around for his glasses. Even though his vision was too blurry to see without said glasses, he could distinguish between each of their heights well enough. Not only that, but he could tell one shade of blonde from another without a problem, so that certainly helped.

“Where the fuck’re my glasses?” the Silver Fox grumbled.

“On top of your head, man,” Bret chuckled.

Reaching up, he felt exactly what he’d been hunting for and pulled them off so he could slide them onto his face. “Now, that’s better.”

“I’m sure since you’re blind as a Bat without them,” the drummer said.

“Y’all idiots’re just as blind without glasses or contacts,” Rob chuckled as he pushed himself forward so he could stand up. “Gimme a sec, andja can fill me in on why the fuck you’re telling Richie my private shit.”

“’Bout to have a screaming Banshee on our hands, huh?” the guitarist queried.

“She’s content enough with her _Daddy paci_ –for now,” he answered. “But that’s not gonna last for long since it’s almost Time for her to be fed again.”

“Where’s Mishy? I can go grab her for ya,” Rikki offered.

The Silver Fox didn’t get a chanceta answer before he heard a familiar giggle from somewhere nearby. “Oh, Mama–I kinda need a boob out here!”

“And we both know you’re not just gonna sprout any, are ya, Daddy?”

Laughing softly as his girlfriend appeared from the dressing room they’d all but taken over a couple hours ago, he used his free hand to start unbuttoning his shirt. “I think I’d look a lil funny, if I suddenly sprouted boobs, sweetheart.”

“Ya look better _without_ tits, whether your hair’s black, brown, or gray,” Mishy giggled, unbuttoning her own shirt as he opened his so he could unwrap it from around their newborn daughter.

Settling on the couch next to him, she made sure her nursing bra was already open when he gently pried Zeph loose. Obviously, said baby wasn’t happy with that as he handed her off, judging by the fit she started to pitch. That fit was quickly quieted as she felt something soft against her lil face and smelled what she wanted, which encouraged her to latch on.

Chuckling as he pushed himself up to his feet, Rob told the othersta give him a minute for a bathroom break, then they’d fill each other in. He was still kinda pissed at his band mates, but he was sure they’d a good reason for telling their _former_ band mate about his newest family member. They knew how private he was once he came off the stage, and that if he’d wanted the World to know about this lil angel, he’d have released his own announcement. But that made him curious as to _what_ their reason was–no doubt as curious as the Salt-and-Pepper brunette wasta his own situation.

“Jeez, this one’s fresh, huh?” Richie chuckled, careful to keep his distance from the nursing mama.

“Three weeks old, as of two Days ago,” she answered, unable to help a proud grin as she looked up at him.

“Damn, really?” His Sea-blue eyes widened in surprise. “Risky to be bringing her to even her pediatrician’s office, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but Rob and I agreed that we’re not gonna live in Terror for the rest of our Lives,” Mishy explained for _his_ benefit as much as that of the blondes. “Our kids’ve always been healthy as Horses, so we doubt anything’s gonna happen to her.”

“Besides, as far as we’re concerned, Zeph was put on this Earth for a reason–and that reason _wasn’t_ to keep her locked in a bubble.”

Glancing to his right, the multi-instrumentalist saw his gray-haired former band mate rejoining the group. “I guess that’s true enough, man. And she’s _your_ kid, not mine, so it’s not like I’ve a right to make that kinda decision _for_ ya.”

“Kinda like ya won’t make the decision to tell the public about her for us, if you’re smart,” Rob warned him, a no-nonsense look settling over his features.

“I’d never even Dream of it,” he assured him. “Granted, I’m curious about–well, I guess how this lil booger came about aside from the obvious.”

“Man, is _that_ ever a loaded question to kinda, sorta ask?” the Silver Fox chuckled with a look at his girlfriend.

“That’s not even scratching the Surface, love, and we both know it,” Mishy laughed.

“Well, I’m not opposed to answering–but I kinda wanna know why you’re here before I do,” he said, turning his attention back to him.

Nodding since that was a fair enough trade, Richie brought him up to speed on the Changesta the tour roster. It was a bit of a sudden thing–quite literally happened overnight–so he’d already been up in the Air and on his way to California. Since he couldn’t be reached to be informed, his band mates’d all agreed to wait till he got here to tell him about Joan Jett dropping outta the tour at more or less the last minute.

Rob hummed thoughtfully as he nodded, part of him wasn’t surprised that such a thing’d happened so suddenly. Most of the Planet’s population was terrified of contracting the virus that’d damn near killed his only son, and it wasn’t limited to just Average Joes. After all, this virus didn’t care whether one was an Average Joe, or an A-list celebrity–it attacked whoever it wanted, whenever it wanted to.

Picking up where he’d left off, the Salt-and-Pepper multi-instrumentalist couldn’t help a chuckle as he admitted that he’d been surprised to get a call from Poison’s manager, Bert. He hadn’t really had much to do with the band in question after his outing in late-1993, so he hadn’t expected to ever get such a call. It just happened to work out so that they could more or less help each other, although he’d admit that _he’d_ prolly be helping _them_ more than the other way around. After all, he was plugging a hole so their tour could go on when he coulda just opted to stay home, instead.

“Yeah, that’s definitely true,” he agreed, nodding. “All we’ve really done is see each other in passing a few Times since then.”

“And I wouldn’t blame at least Rikki for being against asking me to do such a thing,” Richie admitted. “’Cuz let’s face it, right or wrong, it was stupid and insensitive of me to have anything to do with Deana.”

“Considering we were still together at the Time…” the drummer grumbled.

“In my Defense, she told me you’d already broken up,” he said, holding up a hand when he made to say something else. “But it was stupid of me, either way, and it’s in the Past.”

“He’s definitely got a point, man,” Rob told him. “If there’s only one thing my best friend’s taught me, it’s that what’s in the Past needsta stay there, or it’ll do nothing but poison your Present _and_ Future.”

All three blondes seemed a bit surprised by the Wisdom in his words, but none of them tried to argue with him.

“Ya think I’d be dating my ex-wife again after being divorced for twenty Years, if I let the Past keep getting to me?” the Silver Fox chuckled. “Fuck no, whether we’d a third child together or not.”

“I’m definitely still curious about that,” his former band mate said.

“Long story short, Zak winding up with _Godzilla Flu_ last Spring brought us back together,” he explained. “I mean, who am I to say that his mother doesn’t have a right to see him for what coulda been the final Time, just ’cuz we were on bad terms then?”

“Holy shit.” Richie’s eyes widened in shock. “He’s all right, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, pulled through with flying Colors,” Rob answered, nodding. “Ask the guys since they’ve had video calls with him since then–looking at him now, you’d never know that’d happened.”

Even CC agreed that he couldn’t tell his surrogate nephew’d been through such a harrowing experience just over a Year ago. By all appearances, he didn’t seem any different than he had the last Time he’d seen him in person at the End of 2018’s _Nothin’ but a Good Time_ tour. If anything, he mighta been a lil more thankful to be alive, but other than that, he was the same ol’ Zak they knew and loved.

The Silver Fox laughed as he admitted that winding up on lockdown with his ex-wife after their son’s discharge hadn’t been easy, by any means. But he was too good a man to just throw her in a hotel room with a simple _Good Luck_ since he and the rest of his family were quarantined at the same Time she was as a precaution. It mighta been hard to get through with even the slightest bit of Sanity still intact, but it’d led to an even better Time than he’d been expecting. And he wasn’t talking about the sex when he said that, although he wouldn’t deny that _that_ was certainly a good Time, in and of itself.

Mishy’s face reddened as she giggled and finally moved their new daughter to burp her, her boyfriend quick to pull her shirt closed and hold it there for modesty’s sake without being asked to. She admitted that she certainly hadn’t seen any of the last Year’s events coming any more than he had, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, she could be in a far worse situation–such as having had to bury one of her children–and she damn well knew it.

“Well, forgive me for being crass, but I’d have thoughtcha were too old to have kids anymore,” the multi-instrumentalist mused.

“Thank my _second_ ex-husband and his talking me into going on Fertility drugsta stave off menopause for that,” she laughed.

“Damn, seriously?” Richie queried.

“Yeah, ’cuz I was forty-one when we first got married,” the blonde woman answered, nodding. “We’d wanted at least one child together, but it never happened.”

“Guess it’s pretty obvious that he wasn’t nearly as virile as I am,” Rob chuckled.

“That’s definitely _one_ way to look at it!” Mishy agreed with another laugh. “Not that our being locked up together helped with that.”

“Maybe not, but Zak’d a point with what he said the Day ya told me ya were pregnant,” he reminded her. “Being locked up together like that, it was only a matter of Time before we killed or fucked each other.”

“Amen to that!” CC chuckled.

“Pretty obvious thatcha _didn’t_ kill each other, though,” Bret snickered.

“Well, no shit,” the Silver Fox said. “We wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation, nor have a new baby, if we’d killed each other.”

“Our grown kids woulda been burying us a few decades too soon, I think,” she agreed.

“So, what on Earth madeja get back together?” the multi-instrumentalist queried. “Besides finding out she was pregnant with your baby again, that is.”

Heaving a sigh as he wrapped an arm around her, Rob admitted that he’d never truly gotten over her after their divorce. For Years, he’d deluded himself into _thinking_ that he had, but it was simply that–a delusion he was living in, and miserably at that. Not even trying a Romantic relationship with the woman who remained his best friend had Changed that, so he knew nothing ever would.

Richie nodded, ’cuz he was able to understand that mentality all too well, as unfortunate as that wasta say. After his own divorce in the late-nineties–just a few Years or so before his former band mate’s–he’d been pretty miserable at first. It’d taken him a while to eventually get over his ex-wife and be able to truly move on, but he’d eventually managed that. He wouldn’t have been married to his second wife–jazz bassist Julia Lage–at this very moment in Time, if he hadn’t been able to get over the woman who’d eventually Blessed him with a daughter.

Knowing that they needed to get to work, though, the Silver Fox was quick to say that if they talked about it any further, it could be done later. He didn’t really wanna talk about it right now, or he’d wind up in such a bad mood that his band mates wouldn’t be able to stand him. None of them wanted that to happen, each agreeing with a chuckle that they were better off not pushing his buttons, especially since he was no doubt exhausted almost beyond coherent Thought.

But they were surprised when he gestured to the multi-instrumentalist in a way meant to tell him to follow him, then headed into his dressing room. It was a move that Mishy completely missed as she focused on changing their new daughter’s diaper, which was exactly what he Intended. After all, he wanted to see what his former band mate’d to say about his idea before ever approaching the rest of his band with it. He didn’t wanna set something up that wouldn’t work out before they even got to the starting gate, so to speak. For that reason–and the fact that he didn’t want his girlfriend overhearing what it was–he wanted the utmost privacy for laying out his idea. He just hoped this idea didn’t wind up blowing up in his face, assuming he could get all necessary parties on board in the first place.


	2. Two

“So, what’dja pull Richie, of all people, aside for earlier?”

Glancing up at his front man as he pulled his strap over his shoulder after their first rehearsal for this tour, Rob couldn’t help a chuckle. Dragging their former multi-instrumentalist off like he’d done certainly raised a few eyebrows, so he’d been expecting this. However, he was feeling a bit mischievous, so he put the Secretive bent of his Zodiac sign to good use as he moved to pack up his bass for the Day.

“Don’t worry about it for now,” he told him as he gingerly laid the instrument in its case.

“All right, now I _know_ you’re up to something,” Bret laughed.

“Yeah, but it’s nothing bad,” the Silver Fox assured him, now winding his strap up to lay it next to his bass.

“Still doesn’t do much to reassure me, ya sly devil,” he admitted.

“Well, it won’t matter, if Richie decidesta say no,” Rob said as he finally closed and latched his case. “Which’s why I’m saying don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, really?” the front man laughed. “Done asked him to help ya with something, huh?”

“Yeah, but like I said, it won’t matter, if he says no,” he chuckled. “If he says yes, then I’ll tell all, as far as that idea goes.”

“I guess that’s fair enough,” Bret mused. “I mean, if you’re talking about getting him onstage with the rest of us, there’s no sense in getting Rikki riled up for nothing.”

“My point exactly,” the Silver Fox agreed. “Not that I think it’ll rile Rikki up since it won’t affect him beyond having to sit behind his kit.”

“Kinda makes me wonder what you’re trying to get Richie in on even more now, though,” he chuckled.

Wagging a finger at him as if reprimanding a child, Rob grinned as he reminded him just how stubborn he was on top of being Secretive. He wasn’t gonna get him to crack that easily, so there was no point in trying to wear away at him like the Elements on Granite. That’d do nothing but piss him off, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want him trying to use his bass as a weapon against his person again.

Bret winced as he reflexively rubbed the same knee he’d gotten with his bass nearly fifteen Years ago. He still remembered that onstage fight right at the End of their twentieth anniversary tour that’d nearly torn their band to shreds for what woulda likely been the final Time. It was all their management could do to talk the bassist into finishing out the tour since they’d only three or four shows left before it was scheduled to End. After they’d managed to talk him outta leaving for home early, everybody’d walked on eggshells around him for months, maybe even a couple Years.

Neither was really paying attention to their surroundings beyond knowing that their band mates were finishing up with their own gear so Richie could take his turn. For that reason, neither of them noticed when someone crept up behind the Silver Fox, a finger raised to their lips in a gesture for the ones who _had_ noticed them to keep quiet. That person was waiting for the perfect moment to strike, as evidenced by the downright devious grin splitting their face.

Rob yelped as he felt a hand suddenly grab his ponytail right where it was tied off at the nape of his neck and gently pull his head backward slightly. But even before the person growled right in his ear, he knew exactly who it was without having to ask. There was only one person who knew just how to grab his hair, whether it was tied back or not, without giving him a migraine. In fact, he was so sure of who it was that he almost immediately went limp in the chair he sat in, that gesture having the Intended effect on him. Naturally, that made the one employing it at the moment laugh, their free hand gently patting the top of his head like he was a Dog or something.

“Good boy,” Raven chuckled, still gently keeping his head pulled back.

He didn’t bother so much as humming, knowing her rules when she grabbed his hair like this.

“Um, dare I even ask?” Richie queried, looking just as confused as the rest of the guys.

“I’m here to steal him for something,” she laughed as she finally let go of his hair.

“And what on Earth’re ya stealing Bobby for?” CC asked, cocking a brow. “For that matter, who the hell _are_ ya?”

“Someone he knows all too well,” the middle-aged woman assured them as she moved to perch on his chair arm. “As for what I’m stealing him for–well, let’s go with _nothin’ but a good Time.”_

Rob gasped, barely stifling another yelp as she reached down and quite literally grabbed him by the balls.

“Ya _do_ realize he’s a taken man, right?” Rikki queried, unsure of whether to try stopping her or not.

“Oh, trust me, I know _who_ speaks for him, when ya put it like that,” Raven snickered. “And just how bad said new mama feels about him not getting any action right now.”

All eyes in the room turned to him, which made his face heat up slightly.

“Didn’tcha hear her earlier?” the Silver Fox chuckled, resisting the urge to squirm. “Zeph just turned three weeks old a couple Days ago.”

Richie was apparently the only one with a half-decent memory and got what he was getting at. “So, she’s actually turning ya looseta _have some fun,_ so to speak?”

“That, she is,” his best friend answered, grinning as she marginally tightened her grip on him.

_“Ohhhh, fuck,”_ he groaned, unable to help pushing up into her grip. “Jesus Christ, woman–don’t tease me right now.”

“Uh, uh, uh–who wields the _Sex magick_ between us?” Raven laughed.

“Technically, both of us–you’re just better at it,” Rob quipped, grinning up at her.

“I’d suggestcha remember that, big boy,” the middle-aged woman told him. “Otherwise, you’ll wind up a slobbering mess that Richie’s having to fill in for during rehearsals.”

“Damn, man–a woman who can actually bring ya to your knees!” CC cackled.

“And then some, when she feels like it and I let her,” he grumbled, his grin belying any malice.

Not in the mood to waste any Time since she knew he was no doubt getting desperate, Raven gently grabbed the hair at his nape again. She shot her own grin at the rest of the guys as she warned them not to come near his dressing room for a while. Gently tugging on his hair as she rose, she encouraged him to get up so he could follow her, his slight bratty streak once he was on his feet earning him a slap to his ass.

Rob yelped and jumped, mock glaring at her over his shoulder–which only served to earn him a slap to the other side of his ass. But he knew damn good and well why his best friend was doing that without bothering to ask her as he headed off. She was well aware of how much being spanked turned him on, and that was one of the tamest things she could do to him in front of others.

Said others laughed as they watched the pair head off, still surprised that he was actually allowing a woman to even mildly Dominate him. Even still, they were kinda wondering if they should put a stop to their shenanigans before they went too far and it got the Silver Fox in trouble. After all, they didn’t know who’d all but dragged him off by the balls–just that he seemed pretty comfortable with her. For all they knew, he was already cheating on his ex-wife-turned-girlfriend right under her nose and just _saying_ this woman was one he knew well.

“Rob get his surprise, boys?”

Glancing up, they saw Mishy emerging from the nearby restroom with their daughter’s carrier in hand.

“I guess that depends on whatcha mean by _surprise,”_ Bret mused.

“Well, it involved a brunette woman about my height,” she chuckled, setting the carrier down till she was actually ready to leave.

“One that’d a grin one can only describe as Impish?” Richie queried.

“That’d be the one,” the bassist’s girlfriend laughed. “I guess I can take that as he _did_ get his surprise, then.”

“Yeah, I guess ya could say he did,” the front man agreed. “But who the hell _was_ that?”

“His best friend, Raven,” Mishy answered. “Apparently, they met a few Years after he and I split up, but she’s a helluva woman.”

“Oh, really?” Even the drummer’s Curiosity was piqued.

“Both of them admit that they’re technically exes–they’ve never tried to hide that they dated for a couple Years from me,” she explained with a shrug. “Hell, it was Raven that encouraged me not to do anything stupid since I was still married at the Time, but still not hide my feelings from him, either.”

“And you’re seriously all right with them screwing around now?” CC queried, looking surprised.

“Well, it’s not like there’s much I can do to help him till my postpartum period’s over,” the bassist’s girlfriend laughed. “I mean, there’s _one_ option, but I’m not exactly fond of dishing it out.”

All the guys cracked up when she said that, ’cuz they knew exactly what she meant.

“If Raven _is_ willing to go that far, why not let her?” Mishy shrugged as she grinned. “If _letting_ him find a way to get his rocks off like that keeps him from doing anything stupid that could split us up again, I’m all for it.”

“I guess that’s fair enough,” Rikki admitted. “Surprising, but fair.”

“Oh, she’ll be the first to admit that she’d kill to have him like I do,” she said. “But she knows that he doesn’t love her like that, and she’s not accepting anything less.”

“Which means that friends-with-benefits is the best she’ll ever get,” Richie mused.

“And she’s content enough with that,” the bassist’s girlfriend told them, nodding. “If she weren’t, she’d have tried harder to get him in the last fifteen Years or so.”

They all seemed surprised to hear that the pair’d supposedly known each other that long, but didn’t get a chanceta remark on it. After all, they were all too busy jumping nearly a foot into the Air at the loud scream that erupted from Rob’s dressing room. If it weren’t for the door being closed and no doubt locked, that scream woulda echoed through the entirety of the venue.

Course, it wasn’t just his own band mates–current _and_ former–that were startled by that scream, as evidenced by one of the other bands on the roster walking in. Judging by the look on his face, even Nikki Sixx’d been startled enough to damn near shit himself when he heard it. Those expressions just made Mishy crack up as she used her foot to gently rock her daughter’s carrier when she whimpered, though. She knew just how vocal her man could get when he felt like it–or when he was pushed far enough–so she’d been expecting it.

“What the hell was that?” Tommy Lee queried, a hand pressed to his chest. “I didn’t think Poison owned a big Cat as a pet.”

“Yeah, he _does_ roar like a Lion when he wantsta, doesn’t he?” his girlfriend managed to giggle.

“He–he, _who?”_ Vince Neil asked.

“Well, who’s the only member of Poison that’s currently missing?” she countered with a grin.

Taking a look around, the realized that there _was_ a band member missing.

“Ya lemme get outta these cuffs, _nainen,_ and watch how hard I pound that ass!” they heard through the door.

“Feeling froggy, big boy? Then c’mon and jump!” a teasing, obviously feminine voice snarked back.

“Da fuq’ve we missed?” his slightly older equivalent queried, looking confused.

“A lot,” Richie answered with a chuckle of his own. “Just as much as I have, maybe more.”

“Sounds like this is gonna be a good one,” the slightly wilder drummer laughed.

“Well, for starters, I’m his ex-wife-turned-girlfriend,” Mishy laughed as the other band settled.

“I dunno how he managed _that,”_ Mick Mars chuckled, wincing as he got settled.

“A lotta different shit getting thrown into the mixing bowl that got him an unexpected cake, so to speak,” she chuckled.

Still rocking her newborn daughter’s carrier with her foot, the blonde woman simply told them that they’d gotten an unexpected second chance together. It certainly wasn’t planned on either of their parts, ’cuz if they’d actually planned anything, they woulda planned to stay as far away from each other as they possibly could. That was the very reason why she didn’t wanna do anything to lose him again, ’cuz since second chances weren’t guaranteed, third ones _definitely_ weren’t.

Almost as soon as Mishy closed her mouth, they heard another one of those screams that was quickly muffled by something. None of them could help jumping as it startled them, if only ’cuz of how sudden it was, their eyes all widening. Even Richie’d never heard the Silver Fox scream quite like that when he was going at it back in the Day, ’cuz he’d always been one of the quietest.

It wasn’t long after that second roar of a scream that Rob finally reemerged from his dressing room with his best friend. Both their faces were slightly flushed, but if either of them wore a goofier smile than the other, it was most certainly _him_ who did. He’d clearly needed that romp more than he’d have admitted to, if anyone’d asked him–hell, maybe more than he even realized he did. Course, regardless of _who_ he’d slept with and whether his girlfriend knew about it or not, maybe that romp’d help keep his temper in check as rehearsals _really_ got going good.

_“Mmm, molto grazie, tesoro,”_ he hummed as he flopped down next to his girlfriend.

“As if you’ve to thank me,” Mishy giggled, leaning against him when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

“Oh, but I _do,”_ the Silver Fox chuckled. “Not every woman’s gonna _let_ her man get away with doing unspeakable thingsta his best friend.”

“Or _having_ unspeakable things done _to_ him by said best friend,” Bret snickered.

Rob simply flipped him off, even though the pink tinge to his face deepened to red. “Shut up, asshat, or I’ll turn her loose on _you.”_

“Thanks, but no thanks,” the brunette woman laughed. “There’s only one blonde in this room I’d go for, and Bret ain’t him.”

“Well, that doesn’t exactly narrow it down much any more than if you’d said only one _brunette,”_ Nikki chuckled.

“Rob knows who I’m talking about, as well as he knows me, and that’s what matters,” Raven retorted with a grin.

“Fuck, I should _hope_ I know ya pretty well,” he told her. “It’s only been fifteen Years, two of which we dated for, and too many rompsta even _try_ counting.”

“Damn, man–your Life’s just fifteen different flavors of fucked-up, isn’t it?” Tommy laughed.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, though,” the Silver Fox told him. “I got the Love of my Life back, a woman aside from her that’ll fight tooth and nail for me in my corner with her, and a present I wouldn’t have Begun to expect in a million Years.”

An irritable whimper snagged his attention before he could say anything else, and Rob quickly leaned down to flip up the blanket that’d been draped over the visor of his daughter’s carrier. Not paying any attention to the second, slightly more experienced band and their surprised looks, he gently scooped her up. Her lil face relaxed as she gazed up at him with the Chocolate eyes she’d inherited from him, a soft coo floating past her lips as he moved to cradle her against his chest.

Mishy couldn’t help a tender smile as she watched him cuddle their daughter, who almost seemed enthralled with his hair. Her lil fist wrapped around the tip of his ponytail when it got a lil too close and didn’t let go, no matter how he moved his head. Then again, she wasn’t surprised by that–his hair was so much softer than it looked, and she loved playing with it, herself.

Glancing up once he’d quieted the fit Zeph was about to pitch before it could start, he couldn’t help his own tender smile. He made no bones about this being his baby girl, not his grandbaby, which was a bit of a surpriseta the other band. After all, his older daughter was upwards of twenty and he’d never had another baby after her–till now. They’d figured that none of them were gonna have anymore kids after Rikki’s daughter was born in 2013, considering how old they were getting. It wasn’t like they were in their twenties anymore, which even Nikki could say made parenting a bit harder than it woulda been even ten Years ago.

Nodding his agreement, the Silver Fox said that he definitely hadn’t planned on this, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sure, having a newborn was gonna make getting through the next month of rehearsals harder, but at least he was still getting to spend Time with her before he left. As risky as it was just to bring her out West for said rehearsals and knowing how exhausting a tour was on its own, it’d already been agreed that she’d fare better at home once it was Time to hit the road. Beyond that, it was a good thing that they did short Summer tours instead of being gone for two Years at a Time now.

Feeling the baby snuggled against his chest go limp, Rob locked down to see that she’d fallen asleep with the tip of his ponytail in her mouth. He couldn’t help a chuckle, his movements Intentionally slow and gentle as he moved to settle her back in her carrier. Considering that they’d just gotten out West that Morn and the jet-lag combined with being a new daddy was catching up with him, he said that it was prolly Time they head to CC’s since they were crashing with the guitarist. Looking up at Richie after buckling his new daughter in, he told him that they’d talk more about what he’d pulled him aside for the next Time they got together for rehearsals. It was that, or he talk to the guitarist about coming over to talk about it at his place–whichever happened to work better for him.

The multi-instrumentalist was quick to nod his agreement, unsure of whether he wanted to chill with his former band mates or not. Besides, he kinda wanted a bit more Time to think it over before he gave an answer either way, which made perfect sense. For that reason, he was quick to bid his goodbyes alongside the others, then head for the stage so he could get his own rehearsal taken care of.


	3. Three

Just as he’d suspected, Rob didn’t get a chanceta talk to Richie, let alone see him again till everybody met up for their next rehearsal the following Day. But that was fine by him since he hadn’t been expecting an answer about the idea he’d approached him with just yet. The fact that they hadn’t been band mates in roughly twenty-five Years only added to the assumption that it’d take him a while to let him know one way or the other.

For that reason, he was actually a bit surprised when the multi-instrumentalist glanced up at him when he walked in with his gear. The barely-discernable nod he gave him was all he needed as a response, ’cuz he knew what he was trying to convey from across the room. Now, it was just Time to hopefully get the rest of his band on board with his idea, although he didn’t think they’d say no.

“Morn, dude,” Rikki chuckled.

“Morn,” the Silver Fox responded, unable to bite back a yawn.

“Long Night with the lil cutie?” he queried, his brows furrowing in slight concern.

“Ain’t it always with a newborn?” Rob countered with a chuckle.

“Yeah, it usually is,” Bret laughed. “Hopefully, not _too_ long of one, though.”

“Nah, it wasn’t that bad, believe it or not,” he told them. “Zeph’s actually a more laidback baby than you’d think she is for only being three weeks old.”

“I’m sure having to get up every couple hoursta feed her ain’t easy,” CC mused. “God knows it wasn’t when _Vallon_ was that age.”

“That’s why we just put her in bed between us,” the Silver Fox snickered. “If she’s not already facing her so she can latch on, all Mishy’s gotta do is roll over, as long as she doesn’t need a diaper change.”

“That’s what Deana and I did with August,” Richie chuckled. “Mostly ’cuz if we didn’t, Deana’d never hear her crying once she fell asleep, and I got tired of being the only one to get up with her.”

“Damn, seriously?” Even the drummer looked surprised to hear that, prolly ’cuz he’d thought he knew his ex- _fiancé_ pretty well back in the Day.

“I shitcha not, man,” he told him. “So, in a way, be glad it wasn’t you who got her in the End.”

“That’s assuming we actually had a kid together, if shit hadn’t worked out the way it did,” the drummer pointed out.

“True, true.” Richie grinned as he tossed his strap over his shoulder. “Kids might not’ve been in your Future with her–or they wouldn’t have come along as soon as August did.”

“Doesn’t really matter to me now,” he admitted. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious thatcha love August, and God knows _I_ love Jude and Lucy.”

“Enough to dive off a Cliff without a parachute for her, even though that’s suicidal,” the multi-instrumentalist laughed.

“Welcome to my World when it comesta Mishy, Zak, Zoe, Zeph, and even Raven,” Rob chuckled.

“Which reminds me…” he said, smirking as he turned those Sea-blue eyes on him.

Nodding, the bassist settled in the nearest chair and gestured for the trio of blondesta gather round so they could hear him clearly. As he worked on unpacking his bass, he took a deep breath to quell the Anxiety that was somewhat eating at him. Part of him couldn’t believe he was even considering this idea and what it played into, let alone that he was actually going through with putting it together.

All three blondes were more than a lil surprise when he pulled something outta the cable compartment of his case, then opened it. They’d to glance between the lil box he’d pulled out and opened–particularly its contents–and him several Times, their jaws agape. In fact, all their mouths opened and closed several Times as they tried to come up with something intelligent to say before finally just hanging open as they stared at him. None of them woulda seen this kinda thing coming, no matter how much Time passed, as well as they thought they knew him.

“Yeah, I know it’s shocking,” Rob chuckled, closing that lil box and hiding it again.

“That’s definitely _one_ way to put it,” the front man finally said.

“Seriously, ’cuz as Intent on getting divorced as ya were…” Rikki trailed off.

“Not to mention _why,”_ CC added, much to the final man’s confusion.

“Caught Mishy in bed with my then-best friend from _outside_ the band, he explained with a chuckle. “So, getting divorced was prolly inevitable at that point.”

“No shit, man,” Richie agreed. “Now knowing that, I’m amazedja could give her a second chance as your girlfriend, let alone consider more than that.”

“I’ve spent the last twenty Years utterly miserable,” the Silver Fox explained. “No matter how many different women I tried dating–including Raven–I never could open up the same way. It was like I was constantly keeping my guard up and refusing to love anyone else.”

“Sounds like the stubborn ass we’ve known for nearly forty Years,” the drummer chuckled, dodging when he made to sock him a good one. “Well, it’s fuckin’ true, dude!”

“Maybe, but shut up so I can finish explaining,” Rob grumbled.

“Please do, ’cuz I’m completely confused and more than a lil lost,” Bret admitted.

Taking a deep breath, he started to lay out the idea he’d been trying to figure out how to implement for months now. It’d been Inspired the Day that the necklace he’d bought for Mishy–as well as the lil box he’d hidden again and one other–had arrived. That was the same Day she and the twins’d caught him playing a specific song that he’d never given a name for as he tried to relearn his own bass lines from nearly thirty Years ago.

Even CC was abnormally quiet as he listened, wanting to know exactly what was going through his friend’s mind. Said friend was quick to reassure him that he didn’t doubt his musical abilities in the slightest, but made it clear why he’d approached Richie about it first. As far as he was concerned, this particular song was right up the multi-instrumentalist’s alley in terms of style.

“So, which song _is_ it?” Rikki queried.

“How much of _Crack a Smile_ do y’all remember?” he countered curiously.

“Fuck, we’ve pretty much _never_ played any of it aside from when we tracked it,” the front man laughed.

“Great–means I’ve even more work cut out for me,” Rob dead-panned, although he couldn’t help a slight smile.

“Why’s that?” he queried.

“’Cuz the song that’s been driving me nuts and fueling this idea’s _from_ that album,” the Silver Fox answered.

All of them, even the multi-instrumentalist, cocked a brow curiously.

_“Be the One,”_ Rob said, unable to help a goofy smile.

“Fuck, I don’t even remember the lyricsta that one!” Bret laughed.

“Won’t matter if ya do or don’t,” he said. “’Cuz I’m planning on _me_ hijacking your mic for it, if we can pull this idea together.”

“Wait, are ya serious?” the drummer asked, his jaw dropping. “You’ve never sang lead a Day in your Life, dude!”

“Doesn’t mean I’ve a shitty voice,” the Silver Fox argued. “Actually, I’ve gotten a lot better with it since I quit smoking and Raven got her hands on me.”

“That so?” the guitarist queried, cocking a brow.

“It’s been three and a-half weeks, and I’ve already got Zeph addicted to a specific song as her lullabye that none of y’all’d understand,” Rob answered, grinning as he nodded.

“Kinda makes us wonder what it is,” Rikki mused.

He didn’t get a chanceta tell them they wouldn’t have heard of the band that’d recorded and released it before his phone rang. Pulling it outta his pocket and glancing down at the screen, he saw that it was Mishy, judging by the picture that filled its screen. Other than butt-dialing him when she sat down with their daughter in his arms, he knew she wouldn’t have called him while he was at rehearsal without a good reason.

As it turned out, Zeph was wanting to fight her naptime, despite being such a young baby who shoulda been an easy one to get to sleep. The Silver Fox couldn’t help a soft laugh as he held his phone up closer to his head, considering that it was on speaker. He told his girlfriend to put her own on speaker, and he’d lay money on being able to remedy that in less than five minutes.

_“She’s already listening,”_ she giggled after doing just that.

“’Cuz she loves her daddy,” Rob chuckled. “And just hearing my voice Calms her down.”

_“Got that right,”_ the blonde woman agreed. _“Even muffled through layers of meat, it’d make her fall asleep before she was even born.”_

“Well, let’s see if that still rings true now,” he told her.

_“Take it away, then, Daddy,”_ Mishy said.

_“Lapsistain rakkain tää näyttämö on, mis Kuutamo kujillaan kulkee…”_ the Silver Fox sang after taking a deep breath.

Even Richie was surprised by how even and Soothing his voice sounded, despite the lyrics he sang obviously being in a foreign language.

_“Taipunut havu, Kesä hoivassa sen_ – _Valkomeren niin aavan, joka Aavekuun siivin, saapuu mut kotiin noutamaan…”_ Rob continued without missing a single beat.

“Holy shit,” the front man breathed in Awe.

“That’s not even English, but you’d think he’d grown up speaking _whatever_ it is fluently,” the drummer agreed.

The Silver Fox bit back a chuckle as he took another deep breath. _“Päällä Talvisen maan, hetki kuin ikuisuus_ – _mi pienen kissan jaloin luokseni hiipii… Tääl tarinain lähteellä, asua saan mis, viulu valtavan kaihon Ikisäveltään maalaa, laulullaan herättää Maan…”_

As he let that last, deep note ring out before it faded away, they could all hear a soft sniffle from the other End of the line. That sniffle was followed by what sounded like a whimper or a whine, which was no doubt baby Zeph begging him to come home in her own lil way. It was a precious Sound, and none of them could deny that as they thought back to when their own kids were babies.

_“Nuku hyvin, minun suloinen tyttövauva,”_ Rob murmured. _“Isä rakastaa sinua nippuja, ja tulen takaisin ennen kuin tiedät sen.”_

_“She’s already starting to doze off,”_ his girlfriend said, her smile evident in her voice.

“Betcha singing the other one’ll finish the job,” he chuckled.

_“Only one way to find out,”_ Mishy told him.

_“Kautta Erämaajärven Matkaa kulkuri yksinäinen_ – _näkee lammella joutsenparven, vapauttaan itkevän…”_

Once again, the guys’ jaws dropped as they listened in Awed Silence.

_“Kaipuu menneisyyteen kiirii Ilmassa huutoina Kotkien… Ikijärveltä turvatulta, käy matka Vuorten taa…”_

The blonde woman giggled again as they heard an infantile grumble that clearly said Zeph didn’t like whatever she’d done, which was prolly readjust her when she was comfortable.

_“She’s knocked out good now,”_ she reported.

“I’m glad to hear that that worked–again,” Rob chuckled.

_“I think that’s gonna be a Lifelong thing, if ya keep doing it,”_ his girlfriend told him.

“Then I’ll have to sit the bubbas down and teach _them_ how to sing those two songs right, lest Raven knock their heads off for fuckin’ them up,” the Silver Fox said, grinning as he caught his friends’ surprised looks.

_“Yeah, ’cuz as much as we’d all love for ya to, you’re not gonna live forever,”_ Mishy sighed. _“And you’re the only one with a voice deep enough to mimic the guy that sang_ Taikatalvi.”

“Hey, if I could figure out how to sing _Erämaajärvi,_ considering how it was originally done, I think the boys can learn both from me,” he told her. “But with any Luck, we’ll have decades before we’ve to worry about that, and hopefully by then, Zeph won’t need Daddy to sing her to sleep anymore.”

_“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see, huh?”_ the blonde woman queried.

“Yeah, that we will,” Rob agreed. “Unfortunately, I’m getting weird looks, so I need to go and explain what the hell I just did before a few brains explode.”

_“The guys were listening in?”_ she laughed.

“Well, we were just about to start rehearsal when ya called,” the Silver Fox chuckled. “Hadn’t even gotten to warming up just yet, ’cuz we were unpacking our gear for the Day.”

_“Then go get to it so ya can come back sooner,”_ Mishy told him. _“’Cuz this lil booger’s gonna be moody by the Time ya get here, as is.”_

“Just like I said before, _Isä rakastaa sinua nippuja,”_ he said, directing that phrase at his napping daughter.

_“She Returns the sentiment, judging by how she just smiled and reached for my phone in her sleep,”_ his girlfriend told him.

_“Älä unohda, että rakastan sinua vain jurri niin, kultaseni,”_ Rob chuckled.

_“I don’t have the slightest clue whatcha just said,”_ she laughed.

“I said, _Don’t forget that I love_ you _just as much, sweetheart,”_ the Silver Fox repeated, this Time in English.

_“You’re gonna have to teach me that, but I love ya as much and more,”_ Mishy said.

“Just grab Raven, whether you’re still out West or it’s after you’re back home,” he told her. “Ya seem to forget that _she’s_ the one who taught me how to tie my tongue in knots like that.”

Unable to help another laugh, his girlfriend warned him not to give her anymore ideas like that, or she’d actually do it. Once they’d both Calmed down from their soft laughter, they blew each other kisses before bidding their goodbyes, which allowed him to finally End his call. Sighing softly as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he couldn’t wait till he could Return to the ones he loved for the Night, but he knew that’d be a while in coming.

Looking back up at the rest of the guys surrounding him, Rob couldn’t help bursting into louder laughter, now that he wouldn’t wake his younger daughter. He grinned as he took in their wide eyes and dropped jaws, knowing what was about to happen once they got their brains back in gear. One of the many things he’d always kept private was that he knew more than English these Days, so he wasn’t surprised by their reactions. In fact, if he were completely honest, he didn’t know how he’d managed to keep such a Secret for so many Years without any of the blondes finding out.

All three blondes and even Richie were surprised once he Calmed down and started to explain what’d just happened. Since they’d already met her and she’d spoke nothing but English, they were surprised to find out that Raven was actually trilingual. Well, that was as far as the Silver Fox knew–after all, it was entirely possible that she knew even more languages, and just hadn’t told him she did.

Finally able to come up with an intelligent response, Bret chuckled as he said that he was of the mind that he’d just proven how well he could hold his own with lead vocals. He was obviously curious about what language he’d been singing in, but he certainly wasn’t expecting him to tell them it was Finnish. Outta all the languages on the Planet he coulda chosen to learn, they couldn’t fathom why–aside from wanting to understand his friend when she’d start ranting in it–he’d pick Finnish. Judging by what they’d heard, it was an incredibly complicated language to learn, if one wasn’t born in Finland and therefore a Native speaker. Then again, maybe it wasn’t as hard to learn as it sounded like, if their friend had been able to do it when he’d grown up speaking English and a lil Spanish.

Chuckling as he made sure that lil box from earlier was hidden, Rob tossed his own strap over his head so he could rise. He told them that the hardest part of learning Finnish’d been figuring out how to roll his _Rs_ correctly, ’cuz it was done differently in Finnish than it was in Spanish. But since they needed to get their rehearsal started, he said he might dive into it more at a later date, if they were that interested. God only knew that they needed a memory refresher on all the classics Poison tended to play these Days–and maybe even a few they hadn’t played since Richie was in the band. And that wasn’t even including rehearsing _Be the One_ as much as they could before the tour kicked off for his idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's linksta translations of the lyrics I used in this chapter. Both mini-songs're by the Finnish symphonic Metal band, Nightwish, so all credit goesta them–particularly their main songwriter, Tuomas Holopainen–for those lyrics! Maybe having the translations–not to mention actually listening to both mini-songs–will help give an idea as to why I fell in Love with them so hard and fast... And by the way, I go by the second version of the translation for _Erämaajärvi,_ 'cuz it's the one that makes the most senseta me after it's translated...  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Taikatalvi_ Translation–https://lyricstranslate.com/en/taikatalvi-enchanted-winter.html
> 
> Link to _Erämaajärvi_ Translation–https://lyricstranslate.com/en/lappi-lapland-lapland.html#songtranslation


	4. Four

It took about a week for Rob to finally find the perfect Balance between being a Diurnal rock star so he could make his rehearsals on Time, and being a semi-Nocturnal daddy. He suspected that the only reason it took him that long was the jet-lag that kicked his ass for the first few Days. Once he got used to running on Pacific Time instead of Eastern, he was every bit the wild, Energetic bastard he’d always been ever since Bret and Rikki met him in 1980.

Walking into the backstage area of the Sofi Stadium on Friday Morn for their fifth rehearsal, he wasn’t surprised to find that he’d beaten his band mates there. Now that he’d found his rhythm between his two most pressing tasks, it was only a matter of Time before he proved that he was still the slave-driver of the band.

Being completely honest, he was more surprised to find that Richie’d beaten _him_ to the stadium this Morn. Scouring through his memories as he set his amp and case down, the Silver Fox soon recalled that the multi-instrumentalist’d been the only other early-riser during his tenure in the band. He was a bit on the lazier side compared to himself, but he was still every bit as full of Energy as he ever remembered him being. Course, he wasn’t one to deny that the earlier they got started on rehearsals, the sooner they could go back home–or to their home-away-from-home, in his case.

“Morn, man,” he said once he noticed him, pulling his strap over his head so he could settle his guitar on its stand to take a short break.

“Morn, kid,” Rob answered with a chuckle.

“Ya know, if ya hadn’t always called me _kid_ back in the Day, I’d get pissed atcha for doing it now,” the multi-instrumentalist laughed as he flexed his hands.

“Ya mighta been one of the most mature back then, butcha _were_ still a kid compared to even me,” he told him, unable to help a grin.

“I’m turning just as gray as you, though–slowly, but surely,” Richie retorted with a grin of his own.

“Yeah, I’d noticed that you’ve gone Salt-and-Pepper now,” the Silver Fox admitted. “Kinda figuredja stole a page outta my play book, so to speak.”

“And what play could that’ve been?” he queried, cocking a brow.

“Ah, I got sick of trying to hide my age when I started going gray around forty-five,” he chuckled. “Figured there was no point in fighting it, and I was sick of constantly dyeing my hair by that point.”

“Never really bothered with dyeing my hair by the Time I joined Poison,” Richie mused. “It got to be too tedious, as hard as I was working to get my solo career off the ground.”

“That’s pretty much how I felt,” the Silver Fox agreed. “And I’ve never gotten along with contacts any more than they get along with me.”

“Hence, not being afraid to wear your glasses, even onstage,” he laughed.

“Beats looking out into a massive blur the entire show!” Rob told him.

Nodding his agreement, the multi-instrumentalist admitted that that was the only reason he bothered fighting with his own contacts. Glasses were fine, if he was just chilling around the house–unless he wound up in his private studio, that is–but he’d broken or lost a few too many pairs when he was on tour. In fact, he was pretty sure at least a dozen pairs’d gotten left behind in various places throughout Europe, and he’d tired of spending so much money to replace them all the Time.

The Silver Fox nodded as he started unpacking his bass, ’cuz that was a problem he oft suffered from when he was anywhere but home. But as prone to migraines as he was on a normal Day, contacts were a no-go for him, if he wanted to be any kinda functional. Not to mention if he wanted his friends and family to be able to stand being within a football field of him, as mean as he got while in pain.

“I mean, I think the only thing that stopped me from being a colossal ass while Mishy was in labor with Zeph was having been through it twice before,” he admitted.

“Wait, say what?” Richie’s brows rose as his eyes widened.

“Kid, I get smacked with Sympathy sickness _and_ pain during pregnancy, for some reason,” the Silver Fox laughed.

“You’re shitting me,” he chuckled, amazed.

“First Time it happened when she was pregnant with Zak, the guys thought I’d given myself a helluva case of food poisoning, considering we were on tour,” Rob told him. “Docs in the ER couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, but one came up with a wild idea that freaked me the fuck out at first.”

“Which was the Sympathy sickness thing,” the multi-instrumentalist mused.

“Well, howddaya think _you’d_ react to a doctor asking how sexually active ya were like they thought it was _you_ who was pregnant?” he queried with a chuckle.

“Oh, I’d flip right the fuck out,” Richie laughed. “’Cuz last I checked, I’m supposed to be the one getting _others_ pregnant, not getting pregnant, myself.”

“Then it shouldn’t be a surprise that _I_ reacted the same way at first,” the Silver Fox told him. “But then, it happened again when Mishy was pregnant with Zoe.”

“So, ya pretty much _knew_ it was gonna happen this Time around, too,” he said.

“And it did.” Rob nodded. “I swear, I wound up chugging so much pink shit, I’m surprised I wasn’t _shitting_ pink.”

“Now, _that’s_ a fucked-up mental image!” the multi-instrumentalist laughed.

He couldn’t Begin to disagree with him as he grinned, but it was closer to the Truth than he thought he realized. To be quite honest, he couldn’t remember how many bottles of Pepto-Bismol he’d bought or sent one of his older kids out to get for him. But it didn’t exactly matter, considering that when it was all said and done, they’d a healthy baby and two healthy parentsta care for and raise her.

Richie nodded his agreement as he picked up his guitar again, knowing just how easily they coulda wound up with the opposite End result. He imagined that at her age, Mishy coulda easily miscarried quicker than anything else happening before she delivered. And if that hadn’t been the case, he could imagine that it woulda been harder on her body than her previous pregnancies. No doubt that coulda led to high blood pressure, if nothing else, which wouldn’t have been good for her _or_ their daughter, especially if it’d resulted in a premature Birth.

But not wanting to upset the Silver Fox with such Thoughts since they’d obviously gotten the outcome they wanted, he tossed his strap over his shoulder. As he was getting his instrument adjusted comfortably, he looked up at said former band mate with a critical eye. Part of him was a lil nervous about what was on his mind, but another part doubted it could go sour. If he were honest, it was more of a _trading favors_ kinda scenario than anything, but he still wasn’t sure if this’d work or not.

“Listen, I’d an idea that I’ve been mulling over for the past few Days before I even mentioned it,” the multi-instrumentalist finally said.

“Then fire away, kid,” Rob chuckled, tossing his own strap over his shoulder. “I mean, it can’t get much worse than asking ya to help us do _Be the One_ since that song’s more your style than CC’s.”

“That was pretty much the reaction I wanted,” he laughed. “’Cuz I’m looking at it as more of a _trading favors_ kinda thing.”

Now curious as he readjusted his own strap, he simply cocked a brow at him.

“Dunno if you’ve been aware of it, but I usually do _Stand_ and _Fire and Ice_ on my solo tours,” Richie explained. “Granted, I pretty much rewrote _Stand,_ but my fans seem to love it, either way.”

“No, I wasn’t aware of that,” the Silver Fox admitted. “But hell, ya damn near wrote those two and several others on your own, so you’ve every right to play them on your solo tours, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Okay, now _that_ part of your reaction, I _wasn’t_ expecting,” he told him.

“Can’t really get pissed over it when _Bret_ tendsta do a lotta Poison songs on his own solo tours,” Rob chuckled. “We don’t really like him doing that, but since it’s not with any ill Intent, why start fights over it left, right, and Center?”

“Fair enough,” the multi-instrumentalist agreed with a nod. “I brought those two up ’cuz I’m wanting to do them again this Time around, but Billy hates them.”

“Billy?” he queried, his brows furrowing.

“Sheehan,” Richie said with a grin. “Ya know, the crazy fucker from Mr. Big that did a lotta work with Steve Vai and plays his bass like a lead guitar, kinda like I do?”

“All right, how does _he_ play into this tour?” the Silver Fox asked, not quite connecting the dots.

Unable to help a proud grin, he admitted that he’d been entertaining the notion of trying to get his band mates–Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy–to join them on this tour. He’d formed a band called The Winery Dogs with those two back in 2012, and he wouldn’t deny that he played even a few of _their_ tunes on his solo tours. But it was a lot harder for the bassist of his solo band to keep up with Billy’s wild riffs, and said elderly rocker was sick of being cooped up in his house. Even though he still had a healthy dose of Fear and Respect for _Godzilla Flu,_ he was dying to get out on the road again.

A thoughtful hum reverberated through Rob’s chest as he reached up to stroke the goatee he’d been growing out again in recent Times. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out exactly what his former band mate was getting at, and he’d to admit that it was an idea with merit. Since he was already on this tour, it wouldn’t be that hard to trade places with Billy or anyone else for a song or two.

“I mean, it’s something that’ll still have to be run past Bret, Rikki, CC, and the rest of the roster,” the Silver Fox admitted.

“Oh, I know that,” Richie told him. “Hence why I’ve been mulling it over for a few Days before even mentioning it.”

“And I can see why you’d describe it as _trading favors,”_ he said. “I still remember those riffs pretty well–or could relearn them pretty easily–and it’d be no different than _you_ helping us like I asked.”

“Just on a more long-term basis,” Richie agreed. “Depends on how often I decide to play those two Poison songs.”

“Oh, really?” he queried with a chuckle.

“I don’t ever play the same setlist every single Night,” the multi-instrumentalist answered, laughing. “I might play both those songs in the same setlist one Night, only one of them the next. Or I’ll totally cut them out, just to mix things up more before they start grating on my nerves.”

“Ya know, that’s the only shitty part of being in a full-fledged band with equal Creative rights,” Rob told him. “We get stuck with the same setlist Night after Night, and while I love those songs, at least Changing the order could make shit more interesting.”

“But the others don’t really like doing that now any more than they did back in the Day, do they?” he asked.

“I think I’d have an easier Time getting them to bend over for me, hint hint,” Rob groaned.

“Good Luck with that, Dall, ’cuz it’s never happening–at least, not with me.”

Turning to look behind him, he wasn’t surprised to see that the rest of his band had finally made it to the stadium. Bret making it quite clear that he’d never bend over to take it up the ass for him wasn’t any more of a surprise, ’cuz he knew each of the blondes well. Like himself, they weren’t the slightest bit interested in their own gender, so they’d have to be particularly desperate to even consider such shenanigans.

Each of the shorter blondes started unpacking their guitars while Rikki got to work on getting his kit set up exactly how he wanted it. After all, it wasn’t very easy to pack up and move over and over again, so like the other drummers on the roster, he preferred just living it in their rehearsal Space when they left for the Day.

Like he’d expected, Rob wasn’t surprised when the front man inquired as to what they’d been talking about prior to their arrival that woulda led to such a conversation. He wasn’t one to hide shit like that from them, ’cuz it honestly wasn’t really a bad thing, as far as he was concerned. The blondes who’d been a part of those songs’ Creation might be a lil miffed at first, but he’d a way to put them in their places relatively quickly. All he’d to do was make the same point he’d made to Richie, and they’d quickly realize they didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to arguing with him.

“Well, Richie’s been pondering an idea, but wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up,” he told them as they got settled.

“And what idea’s that?” CC queried curiously.

“Think of it like a _trading favors_ kinda gig,” the Silver Fox explained. “He’s apparently been playing a couple Poison tunes from the album he was on when he does his solo tours.”

Bret opened his mouth to growl something, which earned him a hard look from his bassist.

“How’s that any different from _you_ playing various Poison tunes on _your_ solo tours, _hmm?”_ Rob asked. “Ya know Rikki, CC, and I don’t really like it, but we don’t give ya shit since we know you’re not doing it with any ill Intent, man.”

“He’s a point, Bret,” the drummer agreed, surprising the multi-instrumentalist by coming to his Defense like that. “I mean, Richie damn near wrote the entirety of _Native Tongue_ on his own–why shouldn’t he be allowed to play songs he either wrote or helped write on his solo tours?”

“It’s no different than playing a few tunes from my most recent band on my solo tours, as long as my bassist’s in the mood to even try keeping up,” Richie said, snapping outta his shock pretty quickly.

“Oh, really–and what _most recent band_ is that?” the front man queried.

“The Winery Dogs,” he answered, not letting his challenging look get to him.

“Damn, man,” CC laughed. “That makes sense, though, now that I know that.”

Said cracker jack of a guitarist grinned as he admitted that he’d been a fan of The Winery Dogs ever since their first album’d been released. He’d thought that he recognized their front man’s voice, but he couldn’t place it to save his Life, and he hadn’t bothered looking them up online. At the same Time, he’d hung out with Richie and heard him sing in person a few Times, so he prolly shoulda connected the dots sooner.

“Not that I think you’re horrible or anything, man, but Richie’s definitely got a helluva set of pipes on him,” he said with a grin.

“I think he’s gonna have to prove it before I let him play even songs he helped write for Poison within earshot of me,” Bret grumbled.

Looking at the Silver Fox, he couldn’t help a chuckle. “Ya still remember the bass lines for _Stand?”_

“I already toldja that I still remember it and the other one pretty good,” Rob told him with a chuckle of his own. “And even if I need some practiceta relearn them–well, that’s what rehearsal’s for, ain’t it?”

“Fair enough,” the multi-instrumentalist agreed. “Just don’t bother with singing backing till I get a chanceta teach ya the rewritten lyrics.”

“Works for me,” he agreed, nodding.

“Same here,” Rikki said, settling behind his kit. “’Cuz as long as it’s still the same musically, even _I_ remember that particular tune.”

“Well, Bobby needs a bit of a retuning,” Richie admitted. “’Cuz I down-tuned it a bit for my solo tours, but it’s not that far _off.”_

“Then gimme my tuning, kid,” the Silver Fox told him.

Nodding, he made sure his Sound pack was turned on before thumbing his top string so he’d be able to hear. Rob quickly started readjusting his tuning by turning the tuning key for his own top string so the pitch dipped a bit more. They repeated the process till they’d gotten all four of his strings tuned to one another, the multi-instrumentalist double-checking his bottom two strings as he ran a quick scale to warm up with.

Once both were ready, they nodded to one another and his former band mate moved in front of his mic. Just like he usually did–even back when he’d been a part of this band–he didn’t bother breaking one of the picks off his mic stand. That was one of the differences that set him apart from CC–he usually finger-picked in a way that made him seem more like Billy with his bass.

But the opening riff he played was almost identical to what’d once been tracked on a combination of mandolin and acoustic guitar back in the Day. Just like back then, bass didn’t come in for a bit, so Rob simply listened for his cue as he worked his way through the intro. He couldn’t deny that it sounded almost identical to how he remembered, if only a lil blusier–but maybe that was due to being played on an electric guitar right from the get-go. And he certainly wouldn’t deny that he was liking this blusier Sound, which was prolly how they shoulda done it to Begin with.

_“When you carry the cross, do you know it’s true? When your Direction is gone, who do you run to?”_ Richie sang after somewhere between twenty and thirty seconds.

Even the front man’s jaw dropped, and for a couple different reasons as he listened.

_“In your wild ways, when you win, you lose_ – _it’s hard to shelter your baby-blues,”_ he continued. _“When it’s said and done, do you come out on top? Another hit-and-run, where…does it stop? In your wild ways, you…come to find, the Time has come now to draw the line…”_

Glancing over at the Silver Fox, he gave a quick nod at the same Time he pointed back in Rikki’s Direction to give him a hint.

_“Ya know you’ve got to stand…stand… Stand for what you believe… Ya know you’ve got to stand…stand… Stand for what you believe… Aw, stand…stand for what you believe!”_

The drummer didn’t really do more than tap his cymbals and stomp his bass pedal a few Times till the End of the chorus. It was only then that his rhythm _really_ picked up, not to mention that Rob’s riff actually came in so he was playing. Still, he was almost too surprised to actually play, ’cuz he’d never really heard the multi-instrumentalist sing in the Past.

Richie ignored the shock he could feel from all of them as he continued into the second verse, which he hadn’t bothered rewriting the lyrics for. After all, it was still just as true as the original version of the song that he’d written back in the early-nineties, so he didn’t feel it _needed_ to be Changed. The same went for the bridge after the second repetition of the chorus, save for one word–he’d Change that part from _the Soul of a good man_ to _the Soul of this good man_. From there, he simply repeated that rewritten first verse with only a slight Change to his intonation in a couple places.

After repeating the chorus for the third Time, he ripped into the part originally covered by the choir of the Los Angeles First A.M.E Church. Other than the rewritten verse, even CC knew the song well enough to sing along so they could fill in backing for him. Granted, Bret was somewhere between shocked and feeling stubborn, but none of them were surprised by that. In being a front man, he’d a hard Time admitted when someone else could match him note-for-note, let alone do better.

Once they rounded out the song, Rikki let out a laugh as he stilled his cymbals, the other pair muting their strings. He was the first to admit that if he hadn’t known any better, he’d have sworn the multi-instrumentalist was a former smoker. Just like back in the Day, he’d a bit of a phlegmy rasp to his voice that none of the rest of them’d ever had. Even the Silver Fox’d more of a growl, rather than that kinda rasp, and he’d been a pretty heavy chain-smoker back then. But combined with that Soulful, blusey Sound he’d always possessed, it actually didn’t sound half-bad–in fact, he could get addicted to this rendition of _Stand,_ if nothing else.

“I’ll admit that hearing that outta _you,_ of all people, is a lil surprising,” Richie admitted, his chuckle sounding a bit sheepish.

“Hey, I’m not saying that you or Bret either one suck,” he told him. “Personally, I think you’re just as good as the other–you’ve just got different styles that setcha apart from each other.”

“Can’t say I disagree, kid,” Rob chuckled. “It’s kinda like comparing ya to CC, if ya think about it.”

Curious as to what he meant, he simply cocked a brow at him.

“Well, think about it–you’re both killer guitarists who can solo all over yourselves like nobody’s business, as Raven’s said before,” the Silver Fox explained. “But he can go nuts with a whammy bar like few others I’ve ever met, whereas _you_ put him in his playing grave with finger-picking.”

“He’s a point,” CC agreed, grinning. “’Cuz I’ve found a few videos on YouTube of the four of ya onstage together back in the Day–ya couldn’t get my squealing riff right for _Fallen Angel,_ no matter whatcha did.”

“I think I did pretty good overall, for a song I couldn’t stand then any more than I can now,” the multi-instrumentalist laughed.

“Oh, I ain’t denying that,” he told him. “But just like _you_ can’t play parts like that outta the songs I did, I can’t play the ones you’re playing lead on to save my Life.”

“But that doesn’t mean either of ya can’t play a guitar at all,” Rob said. “And that’s kinda what I meant when I compared his and Bret’s vocal styles.”

“Makes perfect senseta me,” the drummer chuckled.

“Well, we’re not all like Raven, the crazy-good bitch,” he snickered. “God, if that woman _can’t_ sing, I’ll know the apocalypse’s started, if she ain’t sick.”

That caught the others’ attention, which made him grin as they moved to take another break while Bret and CC were warming up. As he pulled his strap over his head, he tried to explain what he meant, but was quick to admit that that explanation was a lil convoluted. His best friend didn’t really have any given style other than simply Melodic, but her voice was like none other he’d ever heard.

Even Richie was surprised to hear that the devious brunette they’d met could sing just about any kinda song she felt like singing. She was best at various hard rock and heavy Metal–which was Primarily what all five of them were into–but she’d a damn good voice with country songs, too. Not only that, but she could pull off that same Soulful, bluesy Sound that’d damn near gotten him locked into a particular genre, like it or not. And that wasn’t including some unintended side effects, which the mere mention of caused a blush to creep up her best friend’s throat.

Rob couldn’t help a laugh as he admitted that no other woman’d caused him to pop a boner just by singing, and certainly not while she was doing something as menial as cleaning the house. But his best friend had managed to do that more Times than he even cared to count, and usually when sex was the last thing on his mind. She could hit some ridiculously high notes when she felt like it, and those high notes were what always did that to him.

After their short break and that particular explanation–which he said they’d be better off simply letting Raven prove on her own sometime–they ran through some of their biggest hits together. Songs like the aforementioned _Fallen Angel_ down to _Talk Dirty to Me_ and all the way back up to _Cry Tough_ were just a few. But in addition to that, Rikki and the Silver Fox jumped in to help the multi-instrumentalist run through _Fire and Ice_. Just like before, they were all surprised at just how good it sounded with him on lead, as opposed to when Bret’d sang lead, but they were quick to admit that it sounded awesome. In fact, it convinced said Silver Fox to agree to helping him out with those two, if he couldn’t get Billy and Mike on board with joining the tour, as well.

The rest of the Day seemed to pass by at the speed of Light, maybe faster than that, as they all worked their way through their rehearsals. At least they were all getting along relatively well, considering that it was no Secret that Bret still all but hated him for what he’d done back in the Day. In fact, the rest of his band mates were just waiting for him to pick a fight over it, ’cuz they were sure it was gonna happen sooner or later. But in the meantime, things were going a lot better than they’d expected them to, and they all hoped that was a good Omen for the upcoming tour. Maybe they’d actually get through said tour without anyone killing each other, which’d be a damn good thing, considering the last Year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a link to the rewritten version of _Stand_ that I mentioned in this chapter. If I'm completely honest, I think it sounds just as good at the original version–but then again, I'm something of a Richie Kotzen fan, unlike some like my Birth Creature who more or less _grew up_ on their original lineup with CC. I might be a lil biased due to that, but at least I'm woman enough to admit it!
> 
> And just as a side note, _no,_ the YouTube account this video's posted on _does not_ belong to Richie, himself. Dunno who it actually belongsta, but Richie's actual account is @RichieKotzenOfficial.  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to Richie's Rewritten Version of _Stand_ –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYKK_ioVZHA


	5. Five

“Yeah, I’ll see ya guys in a lil while. Just don’t expect me to answer my phone, if ya call again, ’cuz I’ll prolly have my in-ears in already.”

Rob cocked a brow curiously as he walked in with his best friend at his side, a case and an amp both in each of their hands. He wasn’t surprised to find that once again, his former band mate’d beaten even him into the stadium for rehearsals that Day. What he _was_ surprised by was hearing said band mate apparently finishing up a phone call, his guitar hanging from his shoulder. Not only that, but he was surprised to see another, taller brunette woman settled on top of his amp stack like it was any other chair.

“Morn, man,” Richie greeted him, looking up to see them as he stuffed his phone into his back pocket.

“Morn, kid,” he chuckled, setting his case and amp down. “Seems like it’s a good one–at least, for _you,_ that is.”

“How can it _not_ be, what with the wake-up call I got from this lil shrew?” the multi-instrumentalist laughed, his grin never fading as the woman on his amp stack gently popped the back of his head.

“None of that, now,” she said in heavily-accented English. “We don’t need to broadcast, after all.”

“Not like it’d faze either of us,” Raven chuckled. “Hell, I daresay Rob and I’ve prolly done worse than just waking each other up with something sexual.”

“If last week was any indication, I’m inclined to agree with that,” Richie laughed. “Never thought I’d live to see the Day that Bobby Dall, of all people, wound up in cuffs for any reason short of being arrested.”

“I ain’t even gonna _ask_ how ya knew about that,” the Silver Fox grumbled, even as he smirked.

“Kinda hard for even the _Blonde Stooges_ not to know it, man,” he told him. “I mean, ya kinda _did_ yell something about seeing how hardja could pound an ass once ya got outta them loud enough to be heard across the venue.”

“Me and my big mouth,” Rob chuckled. “But enough of what I do or don’t do behind closed doors, and with whom. I’m thinking we need to trade introductions.”

“This is my wife, Julia,” the multi-instrumentalist said, letting the woman he introduced play with his hair from where she sat. “She decided that she wanted to see me onstage since she’s still trying to make up her mind about coming to one of the actual shows.”

“He calls me Bobby, but I usually don’t answer to anything but Rob,” he told her, miming a handshake since he wasn’t sure how she felt about such a thing, considering the virus.

“Why not, if ya don’t mind my asking?” Julia queried as she Returned the gesture.

Laughing as he started unpacking his bass for what felt like the thousandth Time, he told her that while he hadn’t minded being called _Bobby_ in his Youth, he hated it now. It just sounded too immature and juvenile for his liking, considering his age, and it annoyed him to no End. Not only that, but that was what his mother’d always called him, so it kinda hurt to be called that now, considering she’d died in the Autumn of 2016.

Richie was quick to apologize for continuously not taking a hint from his girlfriend and best friend, face-palming as he did. But he somewhat shared the sentiment since he preferred being called _Rich_ these Days since he hated his full given name. Like his former band mate, though, he couldn’t seem to escape his more juvenile nickname in a professional setting, so he knew how he felt there.

As he was getting his bass out, Rob introduced his best friend to his former band mate’s wife, considering that she and the multi-instrumentalist’d already met. With the niceties taken care of, he turned his attention to finding out what said former band mate was up to. Based on what lil he’d overheard as he walked in, he figured he was talking to at least one of his current band mates. However, since he’d admitted to having a solo band in addition to The Winery Dogs, he didn’t know exactly who he’d been talking to.

“I was talking to Billy,” he chuckled. “Miraculously enough, I felt my phone vibrating before his call went to voice mail, so I figured I’d answer him.”

“Ya talk to him and Mike over the weekend like ya saidja were gonna do?” the Silver Fox queried curiously.

“Yeah, and while Billy’s on board, Mike’s still waffling a lil bit,” Richie answered, nodding. “Mike kinda wantsta get a feel for everyone else before he commits, and I kinda can’t blame him.”

“I guess that’s fair enough,” he agreed with a nod of his own.

“Well, they know about that shit with Deana back in the Day,” the multi-instrumentalist told him. “They’re still shocked that you’re not trying to knock my block off, if no one else does.”

“Kid, if I wasn’t too shit-faced to care back then, I was focusing on Mishy and Zak more than anything,” Rob laughed. “Well, when we weren’t onstage or in the middle of an interview, that is.”

“I know that all too well,” he chuckled. “But even though I didn’t go into detail outta Respect, I told them thatcha kinda know how Rikki feels on part of it, and they figured seeing me’d be a bit of a trigger for ya.”

“It mighta been a decade or two ago,” the Silver Fox admitted. “But Raven’s pounded a few different things through this thick, old head–and getting back together with Mishy helps with _not_ wanting to kick your ass on Rikki’s behalf, too.”

“Fair enough, man,” Richie laughed. “But yeah, he said he’d drag Mike here, even if he’s to mummify him in chainsta get him here.”

“If I were into guys quite _that_ old, I’d say he’s a man after my own heart,” Raven said with a grin. “But while I generally like my guys older than me, even _I’ve_ a limit on _how_ old.”

Unable to help a laugh as he readjusted his guitar, the multi-instrumentalist admitted that if he weren’t happy with his wife, he’d take his chances on flirting with her. He obviously had a thing for Dark-eyed brunettes, but other than that, he wasn’t exactly picky when it came to women. It was more so their personality that mattered to him, especially after what he’d gone through with his ex-wife.

Grinning as she knelt down to open the case she’d been carrying, she made no bones about how flirting with her’d be at his own peril. She didn’t really care if he did such a thing, given that just ’cuz he flirted with her didn’t mean that she’d to respond to his advances. In fact, she’d prolly just walk away, if she didn’t snark right back at him since she knew he was already spoken for. But her reason for being so lenient about it was a bit of a surpriseta him–more so than her pulling out her own blood-red guitar and tossing the strap over her head.

Even Julia was surprised when she told them that it wouldn’t be the first Time she’d been in an open relationship with a guy. She just chose _who_ she did such a thing with very wisely, ’cuz not everybody was capable of doing such a thing and coming out sane. Not only that, but one of the very few guys she’d ever engaged in such a relationship with turned out to be less honest than she’d originally thought, and she still kinda wanted to kill him for it.

“Not saying this is true in your cases, but I’m not going into anything like that and coming out with a critter again,” the shorter woman said.

“Yikes,” Richie winced. “He seriously gave ya an STD?”

“Luckily, one that was treatable,” she answered, nodding. “Been about ten Years since that happened, and I’ve been clean ever since I finished up the treatment I was put on for it.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” the multi-instrumentalist mused. “But I’m sure it leftcha with a sour taste in your mouth.”

“One that I’ve no Intention to ever sample again,” Raven agreed. “Point being, just ’cuz _I’m_ open to such a thing doesn’t mean everyone else is, so I tend to ignore any flirting.”

“You’ll get used to how open she can be eventually,” the Silver Fox chuckled, catching Julia’s surprised look. “It took me a while after I first met her, but it’s been fifteen Years–hearing this kinda shit come outta her mouth doesn’t surprise me anymore.”

“You’ve known each other that long?” the taller woman queried curiously.

“Met back around ’05,” she laughed. “I know I don’t look it, but I’ma be forty-six later this Year.”

“Yeah, ya definitely _don’t_ look like you’re that old already,” Richie agreed. “Then again, I can’t say shit–I barely looked any different in pictures from when I was twenty-one compared to when I was _forty_ -one.”

“Too well I know it, Rich,” the shorter woman said. “Been something of a fan of yours prolly since around your stint in Mr. Big.”

“Yet, ya don’t act any different than if we’d been friends for Years,” he mused.

“Kinda used to being around celebrities–and I don’t mean just Rob, either,” Raven chuckled.

The other couple looked curious, but so did her best friend since she’d never really told him much about her Birth parents.

“Both of my parents’re in bands,” she told them with an Impish grin. “Whyddaya think a Finnish-Italian girl was born in the States and given up for adoption here?”

“You’re shitting me,” Richie said.

Shaking her head, the shorter woman finally came clean to even her best friend, who was more than a lil surprised to find out that her father was none other than Tuomas Holopainen from the Finnish symphonic Metal band, Nightwish. Equally surprising was finding out that her mother was the co-leading lady of the Italian goth Metal band, Lacuna Coil. He wouldn’t have expected that in a million Years, and it was pretty obvious that the Kotzens both agreed with that unspoken assessment.

Grinning as she plugged her guitar into her borrowed Sound pack, Raven said that once she’d gotten in touch with said parents around the age of twenty, it’d taken her a while to get used to being surrounded by celebrities. But now, she was so used to it that she applied the same mentality to just about any celebrity she happened to meet that she applied to said parents. That even went for all her parents’ collective band mates, both current and former, which was how she could act like any other celebrity was a Lifelong friend so easily.

Not wanting to focus on herself anymore, though, the shorter woman was quick to End the conversation by ripping into a riff that was all too familiar to him. Rob cocked a brow curiously when his jaw dropped, ’cuz he didn’t recognize the riff in the slightest. Course, while he and his best friend usually liked a lotta the same Music, they’d a few differences between them.

“Damn, girl!” the multi-instrumentalist breathed before letting out a whistle.

“Ya recognize that one or something, kid?” he queried on a chuckle.

“Fuck, I _hope_ I recognize it!” Richie laughed. “I fuckin’ wrote that riff, for the Love of God!”

The Silver Fox’s brows rose as his best friend muted her strings with a laugh. “Can’t say as I recognize it, that’s for sure.”

“It’s _Captain Love_ of TWD’s sophomore album, _Hot Streak,”_ he told him.

“Yepper, that’d be the one,” Raven confirmed with a grin. “What can I say? When a riff gets stuck in my head, I either figure out how to play it, or I quit listening to the song.”

“I think you’ve actually managed to shock him, girl,” Rob laughed.

“Who managed to put skid marks in Richie’s drawers, how, and why?”

Turning to look behind them, they saw two more guys joining the group, one carrying a rather long case while the other twirled a pair of drumsticks.

“That’d be my best friend, Raven,” the Silver Fox answered.

“Been a long damn Time, Bobby,” Billy chuckled. “Ya one of those that’s gonna freak out, if I try giving ya a bro-hug?”

“Nah, man.” He shook his head as he actually moved to take care of that, himself. “Prolly should be more careful, what with having a newborn, but I ain’t worried about myself.”

“You’re shitting me!” the elderly bassist said as he pulled away from him.

“Long story short, my son coming down with _Godzilla Flu_ caused me to get back together with my ex-wife,” Rob laughed. “That led to an unexpected baby, so I apologize if I get a lil short-tempered at any point.”

“You’ll just get your ass beaten in a bad way since ya know _I_ ain’t putting up with that shit, even if everyone else’s willing to,” the shorter woman warned him.

“Well, let’s focus on the Music since that’s what we’re all here for,” Billy told them. “I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not curious about how your friend managed to put skid marks in Richie’s drawers since he’s a hard one to shock most Times.”

“Ripped into the lead riff of _Captain Love_ just ’cuz I felt like it,” she chuckled. “I mean, I came with Rob mostly to screw with _his_ band, but hell, I’ll take screwing with the others on the roster, too.”

“Musta pulled it off pretty damn good, if ya actually shocked Richie,” the final man–Mike Portnoy–mused with a grin.

“Shit, I could make even _Billy’s_ brain short-circuit right now,” Raven proclaimed.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” said elderly bassist laughed. “Not very many can keep up with me.”

“Strap switch!” she barked, pulling hers over her head.

Laughing since he knew exactly what she meant, Rob did the same thing and started unhooking his strap from his bass. But instead of handing the strap to her, he traded instruments with her so that he was holding her guitar, instead. That allowed her to attach her own strap to his bass, which she quickly up-tuned to standard once she’d tossed her strap over her shoulder again.

The Silver Fox simply grinned as the other band shot him a curious look, ’cuz he knew what was coming next. Even as he perched on the edge of the table in the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankle, he told Richie and Mike to get ready. His best friend didn’t necessarily _need_ them to join her, but it was always helpful to have the Melody one was working with. After all, the rhythm was important, but that Melody could go just as far as a rhythm section with keeping one on tempo, and well he knew it.

Even Julia sat back to watch as her man ripped into his part of the intro at the same Time Mike gave him his beat. But what prolly came as more of a surprise was when Raven stole his mic since the bass riff didn’t kick in for somewhere between ten and fifteen seconds. Given that his hands were full–quite literally–he couldn’t really do anything to stop her, so he merely cocked a brow as she lowered his stand to her height.

_“Another lost cause_ – _she’s messin’ with a lotta things… She wants the applause_ – _she’s gonna give up everything…”_ she sang, surprising even her best friend with how much she sounded like the multi-instrumentalist. _“Off we go, into the Wild and dangerous side… Been through a lotta pain_ – _help! Another lost cause… She’s messing with a lotta things, a lotta things_ – _and now, she turns it up!”_

“Hot _day-um,”_ Billy breathed as he joined his gray-haired equivalent.

“She’s pretty damn good,” he chuckled. “Better than I am, that’s for sure.”

“I can’t believe she’s singing lead and _still_ hasn’t missed a beat of my riff,” the elderly bassist said.

Rob merely chuckled again as they went into the chorus.

_“All Night, we breakin’ off_ – _that’s why, she callin’ Captain Love! I’m forty-five, but I’m eighteen in the clutch! Woman, who you callin’? Captain love!”_

At this point, Richie wasn’t sure how the hell he was still able to play.

_“Yeah, I’ll be your captain_ – _whoa, we can’t slow this thing down…”_

Everybody aside from the Silver Fox was still listening in shocked Awe as the rest of Poison finally walked in, even _their_ jaws dropping. None of them’d really gotten to know the shorter woman, so aside from her best friend, none of them were aware of her talent. For all they knew, she wasn’t the least bit musically inclined, so hearing her sing and play like the best of them woulda been surprising. But hearing her mimic their former band mate so that she sounded damn near identical to him–that was prolly the biggest shock of them all for the trio of blondes.

_“She’ll make your jaw drop_ – _despise the fashion, but you wear the shoes… Don’t let your heart stop_ – _you’ll be ready once ya pay your dues!”_ Raven sang, still not missing any beats.

“Holy shit,” Bret breathed.

“That seemsta be a common theme right about now,” the Silver Fox chuckled. “Well, that kinda tone, that is.”

_“Into the Wild and dangerous side, where there’s no one to blame! Another lost cause… We’re messin’ with a lotta things, a lotta things_ – _and now, we turn it up!”_

“Yeah, tuning it up’s one way to put it,” Rikki mused. “Where the hell’d she learn how to play like that?”

Shaking his head, Rob refused to answer since he knew the best was undoubtedly yet to come.

_“All Night, we breakin’ off_ – _that’s why, she callin’ Captain Love! I’m forty-five, but I’m eighteen in the clutch! Woman, she’s callin’ Captain Love!”_

After that repetition of the chorus, she ripped into what more or less amounted to a bass solo as Mike kept her on tempo with his rhythm. Richie was more than glad to have a lil bit of a break from playing, the look on his face as he glanced back at the rest of the group screaming that his brain was on the verge of rebooting. His wife, in particular couldn’t help laughing at that, but they all knew him at least well enough to know that that was a rare reaction for him.

Fifteen or so seconds later, he managed to get back into gear enough to rip into his own solo, which started out as an identical riff to what Raven was playing. It was after another ten seconds or so that he deviated and pretty much solo’d all over himself as she tended to say by way of description. He was definitely impressive as he did so for the next thirty to forty-five seconds before finally Calming.

_“It’s not a lost cause_ – _ya know we all want everything! It’s just some old laws that keep us judgin’, breakin’ wings_ – _but so what? It’s Time to turn it up!”_ the shorter woman sang after that solo.

Both men playing with her were still able to boot up enough brain cellsta sing backing where necessary, but even _they_ weren’t sure how they did.

_“All Night, we breakin’ off_ – _that’s why, she callin’ Captain Love! I’m forty-five, but I’m eighteen in the clutch! Woman, aren’tcha callin’ Captain Love?”_

It was only then that they deviated, the multi-instrumentalist surprising his own band mates by letting her cover what was normally _his_ part of the outro, as far as vocals went.

_“Oooh…”_ she sang on her own.

_“Callin’ Captain Love…”_ he and Mike sang in unison.

_“Oh!”_

_“Callin’ Captain Love…”_

_“Callin’ my number, baby…”_

_“Callin’ Captain Love…”_

_“Yeah, yeah, yeah! They call me the captain… Woah, woman, I’ll be your captain on this ride!”_

Less than five seconds later, they were letting their last notes–beats, in the drummer’s case–ring out as they rounded out the song. Richie still couldn’t help his surprised look as he turned to look at the shorter woman, who simply grinned and took a bow after flipping her best friend’s bass over her shoulder so it hung neck-down. He hadn’t expected that kinda thing outta her when he’d met her last week, prolly no more than his former band mates’d expected him to have the kinda voice that he did.

Raven laughed as she reached up to unplug her Sound pack from her friend’s bass and headed over to give said instrument back to him. Her grin never faltered as she swore that she’d learned from the best on bass, as far as she was concerned, since she’d never actually met Billy till today. That man–who was more or less an uncle to her–could do things with a bass that she’d never Dreamt of being able to do, herself till he got his hands on her. But that wasn’t the only talent she hid from even her best friend, and she didn’t mean her incredible voice when she said that, either.

Rob was a lil annoyed that he’d to drop-tune his bass again once they traded instruments again, but he was too curious as to what she meant to be pissed for long. Even he wasn’t expecting her to snort and roll her eyes as she told him to think back on what she’d said right before ripping into _Captain Love_ in the first place, and he’d get it.

Naturally, everyone else who _hadn’t_ heard that part was wondering just what she meant, which made her roll her eyes again. The others were all surprised to find out that she was the child of not one, but two other rock stars, which meant that she’d have a Natural ability. Finding out that she’d eventually gotten in touch with her Birth parents wasn’t surprising, but finding out she’d Traveled to their home countries plenty of Times and basically been trained by them and their band mates _was_. It prolly shouldn’t have been, though, ’cuz they weren’t really any different with their own children–who were pretty musically-inclined in their own rights. After all, talent tended to run in families since it needed a placeta start, as well as folksta carry it on as the generations were made and died out.

Wanting to hear more of her playing, the multi-instrumentalist shot a look at his band mates before suggesting they let her join in on their part of rehearsal today. He got the feeling that she could trade out with just about any of them, if she put her mind to it–and lil did he know that he was right. That much was proven when she grinned and said she was up for it, if they were–as long as Mike could be parted from the drum kit for a bit. Apparently, she hadn’t been kidding when she’d said that she’d wanted to screw with the blondes that made up Poison today. Still, being eager to hear more, the brunette drummer was more than willing to take a break, and that was when the fun _really_ Began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just to clarify, I know that Cristina Scabbia and Tuomas Holopainen were born in 1972 and 1976, respectively. I purposely Changed when they were born to 1954 and 1958 for the sake of the story, 'cuz I've been mulling over waysta get my idea to work out, and that was the best one for me.
> 
> That said, my best friend over on Wattpad–@StarElf555–has more than kinda Created a monster, here. LOL! She told me a while back that since I really liked some of Richie Kotzen's solo works, I oughta check out The Winery Dogs. Now that I've finally gotten around to it, I'm thoroughly addicted to one song in particular, but that'll prolly Change over the next few Days. But just for shits and giggles, here's a link to the song that's gonna be stuck in my head for a while, _Captain Love_ from the 2015 album, _Hot Streak_.  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Captain Love_ by The Winery Dogs–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MBFkotrwk4


	6. Six

_June, 2021_

_Nashville, Tenn_

The next month or so passed by quicker than any of the bands on the roster for the _Stadium Tour_ thought that it did. A lotta hard work’d gone into their stage designs by the crews in charge of that aspect, but the bands’d all put just as much hard work into their End of the performances, as well. Even Richie’d all but worked himself into the ground with memory refreshers and deciding what songs should be in what order, despite having said he never used the same setlist every Night.

Now, what they’d all deemed opening Night was upon them, which was why they’d flown out East to Tennessee. When it was originally planned, the tour was supposed to kick off at the Hard Rock Stadium in Rob’s hometown–which was Miami, Florida. And that wasn’t supposed to happen till early-July, which’d been Changed once when they’d started adding extra dates and venues. If they’d stuck to the schedule after adding those new dates, they’d have been kicking off at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. That woulda given the Silver Fox more than enough Time to implement that idea he’d approached his former band mate about, but he fully Intended to still make it work.

As he got himself ready for the show since all the bands’d decided to cancel their in-person meet-and-greets, he couldn’t help the Anxiety he felt. It was still five Days in coming, if he’d his way about it, but he Intended to shock the shit outta his girlfriend. He just hoped that his surprise wouldn’t shock her so much that she royally humiliated him in about as public a setting as it could get.

In the meantime, he’d a show to put on, and he knew the rest of his band had his back, whether anyone else did or not. Aside from everyone’s continued good Health, he supposed the thing he oughta be the most grateful for was that Mishy was actually here for tonight’s show. She’d never gotten to see him play live unless it was on something like the MTV _VMAs,_ and he wanted her to finally get that experience.

“Ya ready, man?”

Squaring his shoulders as he stepped outta his band’s dressing room, Rob nodded at CC, who’d been the one to pose that question. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Gonna take some Time to get back into the swing of it, huh?” the shortest blonde chuckled.

“Well, it’s only been pushing three Years since we were on the road,” he laughed. “Maybe not as long as the gaps between other tours, but still–it ain’t like we do this every Day.”

“True enough,” CC agreed, nodding. “And your lil surprise prolly doesn’t help with that.”

“Be glad she wasn’t around, or I’d knock ya a good one for mentioning it,” the Silver Fox dead-panned.

“Huh–what? I know nothin’!” he cackled.

“Yeah, that’s right, C,” Rob chuckled. “And it’d better stay that way for the next few Days.”

“Man, if I’ve kept my mouth shut this long, what’s a few more Days?” the shortest blonde queried as they met up with the other half of their band.

“Kept your mouth shut about what?” Rikki asked, his grin and the knowing look in his eyes saying that he knew exactly what they were talking about.

“It’s an Ancient Chinese Secret–if I tell ya, I’ma have to kill ya,” Rob laughed, his girlfriend heading over to them with Zeph in their arms.

_“Ooh,_ sounds ominous,” she giggled.

“As damn well it should be–at least, for these idgits,” the Silver Fox agreed.

“Ready for your first show in–how long’s it been again?” Mishy queried.

“Not quite three Years, but long enough to definitely have some first-show jitters,” he answered, leaning down for a kiss.

_“Mmm,_ get out there and do us proud,” the blonde woman told him. “Do a good enough job, and we might just celebrate once you’re offstage and _not_ a stinky mess.”

“Would it really matter, if I was?” Rob laughed. “’Cuz I’d wind up a stinky mess all over again, if you’re talking about what I _think_ you’re talking about.”

“That’s a _good_ kinda stinky mess!” she retorted with a laugh. “Smelling like a teenage boy’s rotten gym bag–not so much.”

“I concur,” Raven chuckled as she meandered over to give him a quick hug.

None of the guys–even those from the other bands–could help laughing at her agreement, which even Julia chimed in on. They were so used to coming offstage soaked with sweat and smelling like something on the verge of dying already there that they generally didn’t notice when it happened to them anymore. Maybe that meant they were nose-blind to that particular situation, but it was still funny when their significant others pointed it out to them.

A few moments later, the stage manager was telling The Winery Dogs that they were on in right at a minute. Turning to the aforementioned wife, Richie leaned down for a quick kiss that was full of Love, but filled with an equal amount of Passion. But knowing that he needed to get out there soon kept either of them from taking it too far, even if a small crowd watching didn’t.

Mere seconds after Ending their kiss, the stage manager was signaling Mike so he could run out to his kit, sticks in hand. All of them were kinda nervous about how this tour was gonna go, but the first show undoubtedly had them the most nervous. There were hundreds, if not a couple thousand Poison fans out there in the stands–courtesy of everything running at less than full capacity–and they were well aware that not all Poison fans liked the multi-instrumentalist. In fact, they knew that quite a few from the veteran band’s earliest Days’d prolly rather see him dead as opposed to on a stage. People were fickle in how quick they could switch allegiances, and it seemed to be worse when it came to folks in the Music and entertainment industry.

In not wanting to give them a chanceta start booing right off the bat, Richie struck his first chord before he ever ran out onto the stage. Billy and the drummer were quick to follow, having practiced this particular song till their fingers were bleeding and their arms were ready to fall off during rehearsals. Well, that was after its co-writer–a guy by the name of Adrian Smith–had given his Blessing for using it in their setlist to get more folks exposed to it. He’d equal say in whether it was a part of their setlist or not, and they were glad he’d agreed since it set the mood quite nicely.

Following that number, which actually got a better reception than they’d been expecting, considering all the Poison fans in the house, the trio grabbed their Water bottles. Once they’d grabbed a quick sip, the elderly bassist glanced over at his band mates, who both nodded to let him know they were ready whenever he was. This next song was one of the multi-instrumentalist’s solo works– _Paying Dues_ –but kinda like their opener, it set the mood nicely. If anyone tried to doubt that he was still paying for the shit he’d done as a dumb young man, they couldn’t deny it now. The lyrics conveyed that much and so much more all too well, and that was in addition to him not caring about public opinion.

“All right, guys–what the hell’ve I lost?” he laughed into his mic after they’d rounded out that one.

“Your fuckin’ mind for getting us into this mess!” Mike cackled into his own mic.

“Love you, too, brother!” Richie told him.

“Damn, he’s a real way with engaging the crowd, doesn’t he?” Bret queried where they watched from backstage.

“I think part of it’s that he just doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks,” the Silver Fox chuckled.

“Kinda like us,” Nikki agreed, he and his own band having joined everyone elseta watch his set. “Mötley’s the ultimate bad boys of rock, ’cuz we did what we wanted and to Hell with everyone else.”

“Hey, Poison did pretty much the same thing, man!” the blonde drummer retorted with a grin.

“Y’all shut up–I happen to love this song,” Raven cut in as the multi-instrumentalist hit his first chord.

Not wanting to get on her bad side, they all quickly shut their mouths.

_“I’m in touch…with myself…just enough to know where I am,”_ he sang after about thirty seconds. _“I’m in Love…with my drugs, and I feel like Superman!”_

More than one set of eyes widened as their owners listened from backstage, but no one else said a word.

_“Oh, I’m just confronting my Fear_ – _just another hit outta here! Oh-oh, oh, oh-oh,”_ Richie continued, his band mates joining him in a couple spots for backing.

“No fuckin’ shit,” Rikki chuckled. “Kid’s definitely got some balls for agreeing to this, knowing that he’d be playing for our fans, too.”

“Ain’t that the Truth?” CC agreed with a grin.

_“I know, I know_ – _I’m losin’ my mind… Oh, oh_ – _I think I can fly… Oh, oh_ – _I’m larger than Life… Am I really here, or am I losin’ my mind?”_

During the ten seconds or so between chorus and verse, the entire trio fell Silent aside from the Music they played. Not even Rob could deny that they were doing a helluva job in all the best ways so far, his head bobbing slightly to the beat. If this was how the entire tour was gonna go, he definitely couldn’t say that their manager’s decision to ask him to fill this slot was a good one.

_“I still talk…to myself…so I don’t forget who I am,”_ the multi-instrumentalist sang after that short interlude. _“I can’t sleep, I can’t walk_ – _but I can fly like Superman!”_

_“Oh, I’m just confronting my Fear_ – _just another trip outta here! Oh-oh, oh, oh-oh…”_ Billy and Mike sang in unison with him. _“I know, I know_ – _I’m losin’ my mind… Oh, oh_ – _I think I can fly! Oh, oh_ – _I’m larger than Life! Am I really here, or am I losin’ my mind?”_

The solo he ripped into after that repetition of the chorus was pretty typical of him, his play more than showcasing his true talent. But almost as soon as that solo died away, the trio was ripping into the last two repetitions of the chorus, which allowed him to go all-out with his vocals. Granted, not quite like he did with one of the other songs they were planning to play toward the End of their set did, but well enough to prove that he wasn’t the same man as nearly thirty Years ago.

As they moved on to the next song–which was one of Richie’s slower, sappier numbers when compared to the first three–Rob moved to take his bass from his tech. Even the blonde drummer moved towards his tech, who handed him his sticks so he could warm up on the wall next to him. Both made sure their Sound packs were turned off, ignoring the rest of the roster as they did their thing.

It seemed that the crowd was actually moved by the song currently being played, which brought smilesta just about everybody’s faces. Maybe it was a song that was full of sorrow and regret–clearly directed at somebody from the multi-instrumentalist’s Past–but it was still touching and heartfelt. To be quite honest, it was just as Emotional and heartfelt as the next song, which the rhythm section of Poison were gonna be joining him for. By the Time they rounded it out, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house–out in the crowd or backstage–and that’d been his Intent.

“I just wanna thank everybody for having us here tonight,” Richie said, barely outta breath from his performance thus far. “Believe me, I was just as surprised to get the call that landed me here as you are to see me.”

Laughter rang out from the crowd, as well as what sounded like shouts of agreement.

“That said, I wantcha to help me welcome a couple faces that haven’t been seen in conjunction with mine in decades,” he told them, which gave the others their cue.

By this point, Billy and Mike were backstage for a short break, and they were able to position themselves so they could see the crowd’s reaction unhindered.

“How y’all doin’ tonight, Nashville?” Rob laughed after running out with his own mic, which he settled into the elderly bassist’s stand.

It took the crowd a few moments of shocked Silenceta respond in any way, which allowed Rikki to get settled behind the kit already set up.

“What say we give them a reminder about opposites attracting and not always working out, _hmm?”_ he queried, grinning at his former band mate.

“I’m game, if you are!” the multi-instrumentalist laughed.

“Then take it away, brother!” he told him. “I’m following your lead!”

Nodding as he stepped on his pedal, Richie ripped into his decades-old intro as he moved closer to his mic again. After about ten seconds, he finally took a deep breath and ripped into the first verse right when he was supposed to. Unlike in the mid-nineties, his voice was on even more prominent display as the other pair joined his playing since he was singing lead, rather than backing.

Even the likes of Mötley and Def Leppard were surprised by just how good he sounded, Rob and Rikki only joining him for backing at strategic points till the chorus. They hadn’t gotten a chanceta hear him play this particular song during rehearsals, mostly ’cuz they were scheduled for later in the Day than he was. In addition to that, they’d purposely rehearsed this one and _Stand_ so early that the rest of the band he’d worked with on them were lucky to hear them. After all, he was a lil Self-conscious about Bret hearing him sing those two songs, even if one was partially rewritten.

Rounding out that particular song, the rhythm section of Poison moved to take a bow with him so they could let Billy and Mike have their places back. Granted the Silver Fox was gonna be helping him out once again, but it was gonna be from backstage this Time. In the meantime, as far as the crowd was concerned, they were gonna be outta sight and outta mind, which was exactly how they’d planned this part from the very Beginning.

Settling on the bench behind the keyboard that’d been set up for him, Rob merely relaxed for the moment. After all the practice that’d gone into learning this song, he knew damn good and well it was gonna be upwards of three minutes before he’d to play a single note. For that matter, it’d be slightly longer than that before the others joined in with their respective parts. The studio version of this song opened with acoustic guitar, which was the only part aside from vocals up to that aforementioned point. But even as he listened for his cue, he couldn’t help lip-syncing the lyrics once they kicked in, a hand beckoning his girlfriend over to him as he did.

_“Lay your head on my shoulder_ – _I won’t letcha down… I’m not as hard as the words I say when I let my guard down…”_ Richie finally sang after about fifteen seconds, his voice full of Emotion. _“Maybe it’s wrong, but we’re both the same, fightin’ what we feel… I know you wanna love, butcha can’t love whatcha don’t have…anymore…”_

Mishy’s eyes widened as her boyfriend pulled her down into his lap, his lips still moving as he lip-synced.

_“I take a lotta chances_ – _that’s what got me here… I’m not on the Path ya see_ – _I’ve got nowhere to be…”_ the multi-instrumentalist continued.

“I swear, this song coulda been written about those two,” Bret chuckled as he watched.

_“But you’re talkin’ like you’re dancin’, all choreography, and I don’t know the moves so well_ – _I just know what I see… I see you runnin’…from whatcha see in me…”_

“Ain’t that the Truth?” the blonde drummer agreed. “I think we both know damn good and well it wasn’t, but I get what you’re saying.”

“So do I,” CC chimed in.

_“So, lay your head on my shoulder_ – _I won’t letcha down… I’m not as hard as the words I say when I let my guard down… Maybe it’s wrong, but we’re both the same, fightin’ what we feel… I know you’re tryina love, butcha can’t love whatcha don’t have…anymore…”_

Just like during his fourth song, lighters and cell phones lit up the crowd like Fireflies, and not even his current band mates could help tearing up as they awaited their cues.

_“Call it what it is, a certain twist of Fate… Yesterday’s come and gone_ – _tomorrow is too late…”_ Richie sang, the memories of why he’d even written this song flooding him.

Even the Silver Fox was having a hard Time, ’cuz memories of his own were flooding him, even though they were drastically different as he held his girlfriend close.

_“The pain with the desire could make you go insane… You’re sleepin’ in the bed you made with no one there to blame…too scared to wake up…so, won’t you stay with me tonight?”_

Said blonde woman couldn’t help a smile at that particular lyric before leaning in to kiss him.

_“And lay your head on my shoulder_ – _I won’t letcha down… I’m not as hard as the words I say when I let my guard down… Maybe it’s wrong, but we’re both the same, fightin’ what we feel… I know ya wanna love, butcha can’t love whatcha don’t have…anymore…”_

At that point, the multi-instrumentalist play a few final notes before his riff died away into complete, utter Silence. That was when Rob–who’d moved his hands so his fingers rested on the keys in front of him–took over with a beautiful riff that’d originally been done on a baby grand piano. Just like during rehearsals, he put his all into it, making it sound just as gorgeous as the studio recording for the nine seconds that only that riff was audible.

_“The sudden twist of Fate…”_ his former band mate sang.

_“Whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh!”_ Billy and Mike sang, both starting to play as they held out that note.

What amounted to a guitar solo followed immediately as the Music kicked into high gear, bringing smilesta everybody’s faces.

_“Whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh!”_

_“The sudden twist of Fate…”_

_“Whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!”_

_“Tomorrow belongs to us…”_ the trio that was onstage sang in unison.

_“The sudden twist of Fate…”_ Richie repeated on his own.

_“Tomorrow belongs to us… Tomorrow belongs to us…”_

With the double repetition of that one line, they all worked their way through the outro together before letting their notes die away into Silence. It took a few seconds afterward, but the crowd quickly started to roar with cheers and applause as the Lights momentarily went down. So far, all was going well, and they hoped it remained that way as Rob and Rikki prepared to join their former band mate onstage again.

Knowing how the song opened, they weren’t surprised when he ripped into the intro before they’d even come out from behind the curtains on either side of the stage. But that gave them plenty of Time to get into place so the drummer could start tapping his cymbals just as he made it to the second half of the first verse. The crowd seemed surprised to hear different lyrics fit to the Music that’d been written nearly three decades ago, but they were listening Intently.

It wasn’t till they dove into the chorus that Rikki did more than tap his cymbals, and even then, all he did was add a few stompsta his bass pedal. Upon hearing that auditory cue, the Silver Fox moved his hands into position, knowing that the Music was gonna take off at a gallop once they got to the final line of the chorus. He’d only about thirty seconds before he was supposed to start playing, and he didn’t wanna miss his cue any more than his former band mate wanted him to. Luckily, he managed to hit that cue right on Time, a grin splitting his face as the Lights came up again to Reveal who was playing alongside the multi-instrumentalist, which was quite the surprise for the crowd since they weren’t expecting that.

Rounding out that particular song a few minutes later, they all took a bow together just like they’d done after rounding out _Fire and Ice_ earlier. The rhythm section waved to the crowd as they headed backstage again, Richie laughing as he promised they’d be back later with their own Melody section. In the meantime, they settled in to listen to the rest of his set with his current band members, which was pretty damn good. Both could safely say that they were now fans of TWD, vowing to check out more of their works over the course of the tour when they were bored.

By the Time it was Time for even Bret and CC to get suited up, as it were, the crowd was good and riled up, which was exactly what they’d Intended. As long as the entire tour went this well, they could all call it a Success, and maybe the multi-instrumentalist’d gain more fans–not that he needed anymore. The next few Days were gonna be some hard ones, though, but they’d get through them like the team they now were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case anyone's curious, here's linksta the solo works of Richie's that I used in this chapter. Yes, the song _Twist of Fate_ is where I got the title for my story of the same name–and it's also the song I used in the midst of that story for entirely different reasons.  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Losing My Mind_ –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxxZjmDrc3Y
> 
> Link to _Twist of Fate_ –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meRdFJHHAOw


	7. Seven

The few Days as the tour Traveled first to the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio and then the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina were some of the craziest any of them’d ever experienced. Getting back into the swing of being on tour certainly wasn’t easy for any of them since it’d been quite a while since their last tours. Mötley prolly had the hardest Time since they hadn’t toured–at least, not together–since the ass-End of 2015. If any of them had an easier Time than the others, it was Nikki–and even _he_ hadn’t toured since the headlining tour of his secondary band’s immediately after what was _supposed_ to be Mötley’s _Farewell Tour_.

But aside from just trying to get back into the swing of things, Rob prolly had the hardest Time of the entire group. Not only was he trying to make Time for his girlfriend and newborn daughter to show that he hadn’t forgotten about them, but he was fending off reporters left, right, and Center. After all, they all wanted to know just what’d sparked him and Rikki joining their former band mate for his performances of old Poison songs.

On the Morn that they pulled into Charlotte, they’d a joint interview between Poison and The Winery Dogs, and there was no doubt that that topic was gonna come up once again. The Silver Fox heaved a sigh as he got himself ready for that interview, which started with his daily cup of coffee to help clear the Fog from his brain. Everybody around him knew better than to mess with him till he’d killed off that mug, or heads were gonna roll before it was all over. Luckily, having Mishy sitting in his lap as she nursed their daughter kept him from doing worse than giving dirty looksta anyone who tried otherwise.

With only a few minutesta spare, the entire group finally got settled on what could be considered a set since the interview was being filmed. Outta all seven band members, the only one to bother with the mandatory mask protocol was Bret, but that was somewhat expected. The Type I diabetes he’d been diagnosed with put him in the most severe of the high-risk category, after all.

“Hey there, folks–Colleen Patterson of _Rock Sound Mag_ here, and boy, are we gonna have some fun today!” their interviewer said after being given her cue. “We’ve not only the entirety of Poison in their original lineup, but The Winery Dogs–which features former Poison _and_ Mr. Big member, Richie Kotzen–with us!”

All seven guys waved to the cameras trained on them as they lounged on the couches provided for them.

“It’s not very easy to line up something like this in the middle of a tour, but I’ll try to keep things as short as possible since I’m sure ya wanna actually _enjoy_ your Day off,” she told them.

“Prolly not gonna be much enjoyment after this, sadly,” Rikki laughed.

“Yeah, we’re still getting back into the swing of things,” CC agreed. “And it’s gonna take us more than just two showsta do that.”

“More so those of us who haven’t toured as recently as others,” the Silver Fox chuckled as he glanced over at Richie.

“Yeah, that’s definitely true,” he laughed. “It’s been, what–three Years since Poison’s _Nothin’ but a Good Time_ tour?”

“That, it has,” Rob answered, nodding.

“I’m sure it was exciting to be approached by Mötley Crüe about joining their headliner,” Colleen mused by way of keeping the interview on track.

“No denial from any of us there,” Bret chuckled, his voice slightly muffled due to his mask. “We were all ready to get back out on the road, and hearing their announcement about that _Cessation of Touring_ contract made their call ten Times better.”

“I gotta ask, though–what made the lineup Change from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts to The Winery Dogs?” the interviewer queried, Curiosity written all over her features.

“Oh, now if that ain’t a loaded question, I dunno what is!” the blonde drummer cackled.

All the rest of the guys cracked up with him, ’cuz they all agreed that he’d a point in saying that since the answer was definitely a loaded one. Once they all settled down, the blonde front man took over since he’d actually been the first approached by their manager, and therefore knew the most. He tried to make sure the others got a chanceta add their own opinions, but it was just typical of a front man to behave this way, even when they _didn’t_ have all the answers.

Colleen wasn’t very surprised to find out that Joan’d decided to back out at the last minute due to the virus that was still such a threat. After all, a lotta other bands and solo artists’d decided to cancel tours altogether, while others’d simply decided to postpone them. Therefore, it wasn’t much of a surprise that they decided to find someone to fill her slot instead of shortening the shows.

Richie let out a chuckle as she turned her attention to him next, making no bones about how surprised he wasta get the call that Morn. He’d long since heard the announcement about the _Stadium Tour,_ so he’d known that one of his two former bands was gonna be a part of it. That was what’d made him waffle a bit for a Day or so after that call, ’cuz while he’d no problems being on the same tour, he hadn’t been sure how _they_ felt about it.

“I mean, their manager went behind their back and called _me_ before he ever called Bret,” he laughed, readjusting himself into a slightly more comfortable position.

“So, it was supposed to be just _you_ as a solo artist?” Colleen queried.

“Yeah, it was.” The multi-instrumentalist nodded. “But even though I’ve been playing a couple tunes I wrote that Ended up on a Poison record on my solo tours for Years, I felt kinda bad about wanting to do that with a few Winery Dogs tunes.”

“So, _that’s_ how The Winery Dogs wound up filling the slot!” she laughed.

“Yeah, that’s it exactly,” Richie answered. “Mike waffled about as much as I did at first, but Billy was dying to get outta his house as much as I was.”

“If it worked out so that we all got to do what we loved again and kept _his_ guilt from eating him alive, I was all for it,” the elderly bassist said.

“I only waffled at first ’cuz I knew about Richie’s history with Poison,” their drummer admitted. “I didn’t wanna find myself in a cesspool, of sorts, so I wanted to get a feel for everybody and how they were getting along with each other before I committed to anything.”

“Makes perfect senseta me,” the interviewer mused, nodding. “But now I’m curious about how Poison’s rhythm section wound up joining Richie during what was supposed to be his set with the two of ya.”

“Ancient Chinese Secret–if we tell ya, we’ll have to kill ya,” Rob chuckled.

“He’s kidding about that,” the blonde drummer told her when her eyes widened. “But the reason _is_ a surprise for someone, and it won’t be much of a surprise if we give it away in this interview, now will it?”

“Fair enough,” Colleen agreed. “Here’s hoping that the recipient enjoys their surprise.”

“Here’s hoping, but we’ll see,” CC laughed. “They won’t be getting it for a while yet, so that’s still up in the Air.”

With that particular question answered–and in a way that kept it from being obvious _who_ was planning the surprise–they moved on to other topics. Each of them got a chanceta chip in about what they Intended to do after the tour Ended in September. Poison still had no plans of making another record, even though they knew that their fans were dying for them to. Their personal Lives were all just too busy to manage that, and the World still didn’t know about the recent upheaval to the Silver Fox’s Life, in particular.

After wrapping up their interview, they all mimed shaking hands with her so they could head out to whatever they Intended to do on their Day off. Some of them wanted to go exploring and find out what all’d Changed since the last Time they’d been to Charlotte. Others just wanted to head back to their buses and chill while they’d the chanceta do it before they wound up burnt out.

Since Poison’d no interest in go out galivanting around Charlotte, Rob pulled their former band mate aside after escaping their interview. He wanted to run through _Be the One_ one last Time before the next Night to be damn sure they were all prepared. Considering that his girlfriend was thoroughly distracted with their baby–likely napping, if he were honest–it was the perfect Time to do it. Luckily, the multi-instrumentalist was in total agreement with him, as evidenced by how he nodded as he told him to let him go grab his gear off his equipment trailer. Once he’d done that, he’d join them on the stage they’d all be playing on tomorrow Night for that quick run-through.

Heaving a sigh of relief as he and his band headed into the venue, the Silver Fox couldn’t wait for the following Night. It’d be more than a bit of a relief to get this part over with, if only so he wouldn’t have to keep feeling like he was lying to Mishy on top of typical tour stress. That, and with any Luck since they were only a couple hours or so from home, he’d get to celebrate–not to mention _sleep_ –in his own bed for at least a Night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I know–more of a filler, if I'm honest. But I've quite a bit of action Intended for at least the next chapter, maybe two, and this was the best I could come up with for this scene.
> 
> Once I grab a shower since that was next on my list for today, I'ma get back at it with a combination of _Captain Love_ and The Winery Dogs' rendition of the Mr. Big song _Shine_ fueling me. If nothing else, they'll make me type faster since I usually type to the beat of whatever I'm listening to, if I bother listening to any Music at all.  
> ~Firefly


	8. Eight

The following Day, Rob was prolly more nervous than he’d ever been about anything in his Life up to this point. Sure, his first show–and in something bigger than just a dive bar back in Penn–had made him incredibly nervous. And Naturally, popping the question the first Time around had made him nervous enough to wanna lose his lunch. But it wasn’t every Day that a man proposed to his ex-wife for the second Time in their Lives, not to mention in so public a setting.

Easily able to see just how nervous he was and that he was gonna make himself sick sooner or later, Raven unleashed a side of herself that startled the rest of the tour roster and their crews. In her typical no-nonsense manner that came out when this side did, she took Control of her best friend in a way that not even his closest friends’d ever seen him submit to. They were all beyond startled when he simply did as he was told, which wasta head to his bus and get ready for her arrival. Naturally, even Mishy was startled he actually listened to her and headed off a lil _too_ eagerly for their liking.

“The hell’re ya gonna do to him?” Bret queried, looking more than a lil worried.

“Beat his ass like the bad boy he is so he’ll Calm the fuck down,” the shorter brunette woman laughed.

_“What!?”_ the trio of blondes squawked in unison.

“Didn’t know what a freak he _really_ is, didja?” she asked with a grin.

“Apparently not,” Rikki answered, looking horrified.

“Let’s just say he lets _me_ get away with shit no one else on this Planet’ll ever have a Hope in Hell of getting away with,” Raven snickered. “In fact, you’d stand a better chance of finding a snowflake in a Volcano than getting away with doing this shit to him, yourselves.”

“I hope you’re talking about the literal thing, not politics right now,” Nikki told her.

“Either/or, ’cuz neither one’s surviving a vat of molten Lava,” the shorter brunette woman retorted.

“True enough,” the blonde guitarist agreed. “But seriously, is he gonna look like he got into a car wreck at Interstate speeds by the Time you’re done with him?”

“Not unless he takes his clothes off,” she assured them. “When I say I’ma beat his ass, I mean literally–in addition to a few other body parts.”

All their eyes widened as they processed that.

“Normally, neither of us want voyeurs when we unleash these sides of ourselves,” Raven said, turning her attention to Mishy. “But there’re a few exceptions I’m making, and with good reason.”

“I’m not surprised I’d be one of them,” the blonde woman admitted, nodding. “I mean, knowing you’re gonna beat him’s more than a lil worrisome since he’s my boyfriend–again–and all.”

“Hence why he won’t argue with me on that,” the shorter brunette woman told her. “The other exceptions–well, if they’re smart, they’ll know who they are without me having to say, based on a few recent conversations.”

The rest of Poison, Mötley, Def Leppard, and The Winery Dogs were all shocked when Richie and Julia rose from where they’d been settled.

“I should hope we do,” he chuckled, a hand pressed to the Center of his wife’s back as he let her precede him to Poison’s bus.

Ignoring the curiously confused looks of everyone else, she shooed Mishy off behind them before bringing up the rear. Before she actually boarded said bus, she found its driver and got the keys from him to be sure what she was about to do wouldn’t be interrupted. God only knew her target wouldn’t be happy, if that were to happen, and for a couple different reasons.

On the bus, the witnessing trio were surprised to find Rob kneeling in the Center of the front lounge, which he’d rearranged to Create more Space. But it wasn’t the fact that he was kneeling that was surprising–it was that he was stark nekkid, his head bowed, hands flipped palm-up on his thighs, and said thighs spread just enough to keep from crushing his balls. He didn’t so much as twitch when he heard them board the bus, and the fact that he was so still that he almost didn’t appear to be breathing was more than a lil freaky.

Chuckling as she finally boarded behind the others, Raven grinned as she saw her target in the exact position she expected him to be in. Still, he didn’t so much as twitch when he heard that chuckle, although the others saw that he took a deeper breath that was released in a measured exhale. Only when she approached and used a single finger under his chin did he look up at her, his eyes appearing black as his gaze locked with hers.

“Good boy, my pet,” the shorter brunette woman said as they settled on one of the couches where they wouldn’t be in her way.

“Thank ya, Mistress,” he responded, his voice barely a murmur.

_“Mistress?”_ Mishy queried, her eyes widening.

“He knows his place once he brings out my inner sadist,” she laughed. “We’ve been play partners for damn near as long as we’ve known each other, after all.”

“I shoulda known,” Richie chuckled. “Ya struck me as being more than a lil bit of a freak.”

“Oh, don’t let appearances fool ya,” Raven warned him. “I’m not just a Domme–I’ma Switch, and fuckin’ proud of it.”

“A what, now?” his wife asked, looking confused.

“Means I can switch back and forth between Dominant and submissive,” the shorter brunette woman explained. “Normally, I’ve more of a submissive streak, but this is one of those Times that Rob needs the Comfort, Security, and reassurance of his Top.”

The Silver Fox nodded eagerly after she shot him a certain look, which he knew the meaning of all too well.

“Now, Time for some fun,” she chuckled, heading toward the back lounge. “Suede, leather, or chain–how much can my lil masochist take in pain?”

“Leather, Mistress,” Rob answered.

“Ya sure, pet?” the shorter brunette woman queried.

“Absolutely, Mistress–gimme whatcha got,” he answered, nodding.

“Rope, or no rope?” Raven asked.

“None today, Mistress,” the Silver Fox told her, knowing she was referring to restraining him. “No real good restraint points.”

“Better to forego than to hurtcha worse than ya want, pet,” she agreed.

Rob Returned to his Silent, statuesque pose that he’d been waiting in when they boarded the bus, showing absolutely no signs that his feet were starting to go numb. He was patient enough to wait till she was ready, knowing she’d give him a minute to let blood flow Return before she actually started wailing on him. That was just one of the many ways she was an outstanding Domme, as far as he was concerned, which was why she was the only one he submitted to like this.

Upon Returning from the back lounge–which was on back side of the bunk room–the shorter brunette woman’d two floggers clipped to her hips. Both were clearly made of leather, right down to the loops woven into the Ends of their handles for her to hang them up. From the looks of it, they were of some damn good quality, and it made Richie wonder if she’d made them, herself.

Making the Silver Fox look up at her again, Raven made sure he was ready and gave a single nod as she gave him a hand up. The other couple politely averted their gaze from his crotch, which was fairly impressive, even in its flaccid state. His girlfriend, on the other hand, couldn’t help wanting to sneak a peek–which just made their friend grin downright Impishly. She knew she enjoyed whatever view she could get, whenever she could get it, and that those views were prolly a lil further between lately than she’d have liked.

“Safe words, pet?” the shorter brunette woman queried once he was standing with his hands braced on one of the kitchenette counters since he wasn’t bound this Time.

“Same as always, Mistress,” Rob answered.

Looking over at the other trio, she chuckled at their obvious confusion. “Basically, three single wordsta lemme know how he’s doing when I ask.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Mishy mused.

“Means that if y’all hear _Pear,_ he’s fine– _Pineapple_ means he needs a minute,” Raven explained. _“Tabasco_ means he’s had enough, but whether it’s of just the floggers or the scene altogether’ll be anyone’s guess till I ask him.”

“Not exactly Creative,” the multi-instrumentalist chuckled.

“Well, ya don’t want safe words being _too_ complicated,” she gently reprimanded him. “If he goes _too_ far under, he won’t be able to remember ’em, and that won’t be good when I ask where we’re at.”

“Fair enough,” Julia agreed with a nod.

“Hence why we stuck with foods he either likes, doesn’t like, or is iffy on,” the shorter brunette woman said, running one of her floggers up and down his back.

Rob bit back a groan, but that didn’t stop him from gasping and arching his back at feeling the chilly leather against it.

“Ready for some tunes, pet?” Raven snickered.

“Of course,” the Silver Fox answered.

_CRACK!_ “Of course, _what,_ pet?”

“Of course, _Mistress,”_ he corrected himself, not squirming in the least as she rubbed the opposite side of his ass.

“Gotta even ya out now, pet,” she veritably crooned.

_CRACK!_ “Ah, thank ya, Mistress!” Rob yelped.

Before she actually started wailing on him with either of her floggers, the shorter brunette woman paused long enough to start up what she called her _Good Time_ playlist. It was filled to brimming with various tunes she could catch a helluva beat to, and even her friend used it while Topping her more than not. Setting it to _Random_ so they could be surprised as they went, she set it to play the very first song–which just happened to be the title song of Poison’s third album.

The Silver Fox steeled himself as much as he could as he felt that leather ghost up and down his spine again. Goosebumps rose all along his arms, and he couldn’t help arching closer to the source of his torment in an obviously good reaction. It wasn’t much longer afterward that his Mistress gave him the first lick, which seemingly got no reaction outta him.

Mishy, Richie, and Julia all watched with Curiosity, but also a lil apprehension as the pair got more and more into it. They just barely avoided cracking up a few minutes later when _Captain Love_ started playing, Raven easily catching a helluva rhythm to it. But that just proved how good a Domme she was as she kept at it–she could catch a beat to just about anything, but she also paid strict attention to whoever she happened to be Topping. No doubt that was one of the many reasons her current sub actually submitted to her, no matter how far she went, as long as it was within reason and didn’t leave him _too_ much of a slobbering dumbass by the Time it was all over.

After about fifteen or twenty minutes, Rob stopped her by groaning _Pineapple,_ which surprised the trio who were watching them. Having played with him plenty of Times, though, she merely grinned as he turned his back to them to hide the fact that he was rolling a rubber down his shaft. Once he was ready, she got back to work on him, almost immediately catching a rhythm to the next song to start–which just happened to be one of her favorites. By the Time _Fire_ by Lacuna Coil was over, she knew she was gonna have him howling like a Wolf, which was exactly what she Intended.

By the Time Poison was ready to storm the stage that Night, it was pretty obvious that their bassist was a lot more relaxed than he’d been that Morn. None of them dared ask even Richie and his wife just what’d been done to their friend, even when he winced upon settling on a couch to tune his bass. All of them agreed that they’d prolly be scarred for Life, if they dared–and that was assuming he let them live long enough to at least get through their show.

Starting with the title track of their debut album like they’d done three Years ago, they worked their way through a few of their classic hits. Doing that was as much for their own enjoyment as that of their fans, which they tried to find the perfect Balance of on every tour. However, after CC’s solo about halfway through their set was when things were gonna Change from what they’d done in recent Years.

Following that solo, they ripped into one they hadn’t played live since Richie was a part of Poison, just ’cuz they felt like it. Granted, it’d taken the Silver Fox a lotta sweet-talking to convince the othersta bring back _Good Love_ on this tour, but he’d eventually done it. But in addition to that one, they’d decided to bring back _Let it Play_ before his and Rikki’s own solos, respectively. Once they’d gotten those solos outta the way, they ripped into one they’d never done live, which they hoped went over well with the fans. After all, _Best Thing You Ever Had_ was a damn good tune, but they all knew that it wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, so to speak.

After rounding out that tune, Rob’s Anxiety started to ramp up a bit more as he used readjusting his bassta hide that he was checking his pocket. Only after assuring himself that he’d what he needed did he pull off the bass he’d been using since his solo, which got handed off to his tech. He Intended to use one of his softer-sounding basses for this next song, and with good reason since it needed a softer sound. But before he took his softer-toned bass from his tech, he snatched up his Water bottle before moving before his mic.

“All right, Charlotte–I’ve a favor I wanna ask of y’all,” he said.

The crowd before him let out a roar of cheers and applause, which he took as a positive response.

“I’ve something special planned for tonight, and only a select few know what it is,” the Silver Fox continued after taking a deep breath. “But before we can dive into that, I need some help.”

Listening carefully, he heard what sounded like a collective _How can we help, Bobby?_

“I need a hand convincing my girlfriend to come out here and join us,” Rob chuckled into his mic.

The crowd roared again as he turned to glance backstage, where he saw said girlfriend staring with a dropped jaw.

“C’mon out here, sweetheart,” he laughed, beckoning her over to him.

Mishy didn’t move a muscle till their older kids–who’d come to tonight’s show after he’d called to tell them about his plan–prodded her in the back.

“Go on, Mom!” they laughed. “You’re gonna love it!”

Seeing lil other choice, she huffed, but finally joined her boyfriend and his band mates onstage. “What the hell’re ya up to, ya devil?”

“Now, it’s not gonna be much of a surprise, if I just _tell ya,_ is it?” Rob chuckled, taking his soft-toned bass from his tech.

His girlfriend simply gave him a look, her arms crossed over her ample bosom and a hip cocked as she waited.

“Just bear with me, sweetheart,” he told her, tossing his strap over his head, then surprising her by dropping his instrument down over her so that said strap held her against him.

Mishy wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, as evidenced by how her jaw dropped again, since he knew she didn’t like being in this kinda position till he’d grabbed a post-show shower.

Taking a deep breath, the Silver Fox nodded as he kept her pulled snug against him, and a final body joined them from backstage. Adorned with his own guitar, Richie settled at the keyboard that’d been used during _Twist of Fate_ earlier. Without waiting to be counted in, he plunked out the fairly simple piano riff before rising as he ripped into the lead riff about fifteen seconds later.

Rikki’d already hammered out his first few beats before the lead riff ever started, giving the others their tempo. At almost the same moment that the lead riff kicked in, Rob started plucking out the bass riff, despite having to work around his girlfriend’s body. But no one except his band mates were expecting what came roughly thirty seconds later, which was exactly how he’d planned it. He didn’t want anyone knowing that it wasn’t Bret who was gonna be singing lead on this song, ’cuz that was part of the surprise he’d planned.

_“So, you wanna talk about the pain… Talk to me, please explain_ – _maybe I know what you’re goin’ through…”_ the Silver Fox sang, his voice picked up by a Madonna mic that’d been hidden by his hair up to this point as the multi-instrumentalist let CC take over on acoustic for the moment.

The crowd was just as surprised as his girlfriend, which brought a smile to his face as he looked down at her.

_“You got so much pain to hide_ – _ya keep it locked up deep inside, in a room no one gets to…”_ Rob continued, the guitarists effectively switching off again as the Music picked up a bit. _“I can’t feel the way ya feel_ – _maybe I, I’ve got those same scars…same scarsta Heal…”_

Letting it die down just a hair again, they all prepared for it to pick up once again in a few moments.

_“You’ve got to understand, I want to be the only man to…ever touch you baby, to ever…”_

Mishy’s eyes were already misty, forcing her to reach up and wipe them so she could see her boyfriend clearly, even though she was right in front of him.

_“I’ll be there, should the Sun go down, lift you up to a higher ground_ – _lemme in, lemme be the one…”_ he sang, the others joining him for backing as the Music picked up again. _“I’ll be there, shouldja fall from Grace… Wipe those tear drops from your face_ – _I’ll see no more damage done… Baby, baby, I just_ – _let me…be the one…”_

The blonde woman couldn’t help a smile as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck as they played through a short interlude before letting the Music die down once again.

_“I wanna be the one to shelter you, should the Rains come down_ – _never let you drown, I’d pull ya through…”_

Her smile only grew as she gazed up at him, and he didn’t hesitate to Return that smile as he continued the verse.

_“I wanna hear you when you scream, be your Prince when you Dream, hold you close when you cry… I said I wanna feel your Love, your Hate_ – _should you be lost, I’ll bear your cross of pain! Love seal your Fate…”_

Mishy couldn’t help the tears that started to course down her cheeks at this point, and she didn’t wanna.

_“I’ll Comfort you in fits of Rage, I’ll be the book, shouldja turn the page, and…I still love ya, baby… I still…”_

At this point, the Music kicked up once again as they dove into the chorus again, and her tears seemingly flowed even faster. She still didn’t have a clue what wasta come after they’d rounded out the song, only that she was enjoying said song immensely. God only knew that if she’d ever heard it before, it was so long ago that she’d forgotten it even existed by this point.

_“I gotta touch you_ – _I’ll see no more damage done… Oh, sweet child, you gotta let me…”_

At that point, Rob couldn’t resist managing to spin her around in a twisted form of a slow-dance as the multi-instrumentalist ripped into the solo. The smile he’d been wearing turned into a full-on grin as she squealed, which was picked up by his mic and transmitted through the house speakers. But even the crowd was amused by that, judging by the laughter they let out as that extended solo ran right into the third verse.

_“Ooh, I’ll Heal the hurt, I’ll Heal the scars_ – _yes, I will, baby! You can_ – _you can lay your head right down…down across my heart!”_ he sang, fighting back his own tears at this point. _“Then you’ll learn to understand, I wanna be the only man to…ever touch you, baby… Ever touch you, baby…ever…”_

Everyone in the crowd started to sing along as they dove into the chorus for the final Time, which was a surpriseta even the Silver Fox. Then again, it was usually pretty common when a band took to the stage, so he prolly _shoulda_ been expecting it to happen. Still, he didn’t let it get to him, still gazing down at his girlfriend as he worked his way through the chorus again. He knew he was gonna be getting a lot more Emotional than this in a few short minutes, and he wanted to be able to speak clearly when that Time came. Otherwise, this whole plan was gonna go South quicker than Bret picking a fight with Richie over what’d Ended his tenure in the band.

_“I’ll be Calm in fits of Rage, hold you close in Times of pain_ – _I’ll see more damage done… Baby, baby, you got to let me be the one.”_

The crowd erupted into a loud roar of cheers and applause as they finally rounded out the song, which gave him just enough Time to compose himself. Not only that, but it gave him Time to pull his bass off so it could be handed back to his tech, which he took care with to avoid smacking Mishy in the head or anything. And he was even more glad for those few moments when she moved to cup his cheeks, which led to her giving him a sound kiss that he eagerly Returned. But once that kiss Ended, he knew the part that was his reason for being so anxious was gonna come at last.

“Rob, that was–I’ve no words,” she said, his mic catching every word due to their proximity.

“That was pretty much the exact reaction I was looking for, sweetheart,” Rob chuckled as he smiled down at her.

“Oh, really?” his girlfriend queried, cocking a brow up at him.

“Well, that’s not the only part of my surprise,” he admitted, reaching up to grab her left hand from where it still cupped his cheek.

Mishy wasn’t too sure what he was getting at, so she just kept Silent as she waited patiently.

“Mishy, we’ve a long history together, and even apart–too long to wanna get into, especially here and now,” the Silver Fox said. “But that history together–it’s given me a few things that’re too beautiful _not_ to appreciate for the rest of my breathing Days.”

She couldn’t help the blush that crept up to stain her cheeks, which was displayed for the crowd by the big screen they’d been projected on this entire Time.

“When we split up twenty Years ago, I thought I’d just lost my entire World,” Rob said, his voice starting to waver a bit. “I never toldja just how much ya meant to me, let alone showedja, and for that, I’m genuinely sorry.”

His girlfriend started to look suspicious at this point, which he’d been expecting, and it brought a smile to his face.

“I know I wasn’t the best man, husband, and father way back when, and certainly not the easiest to love and live with,” the Silver Fox admitted as he reached into his pocket. “But now that we’ve a second chance neither of us was expecting–well, I don’t wanna squander it.”

Mishy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped as he pulled his hand back outta his pocket, then slowly sank down to one knee.

“Smack me for this later, if ya wanna, but Dana Michelle…will ya gimme the second chanceta jump down the Rabbit hole with ya? And if not, will ya at least take this ring as a constant reminder that I’ll always be by your side till the Day I draw my dying breath?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Annnnd_ here's a link to the song that Inspired this whole story! I know it prolly doesn't seem like it, considering how heavily Richie's mentioned in the first few chapters, but I'm trying to get my idea back on track as I go... Maybe listening to this song while writing this particular chapter'll help with that, but who knows? Anywhore, enjoy this lost gem from Poison's 2000 album, _Crack a Smile...and More!_  
>  ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Be the One_ –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWweJSI7rvA


	9. Nine

All of three hours after getting the surprise of a Lifetime, Mishy couldn’t help feeling like she was floating on Cloud Nine. Naturally, she hadn’t been able to find it in her to say _no,_ ’cuz not only had she not wanted to spoil her boyfriend–now _fiancé’s_ –proposal by publicly humiliating him, but she was getting him home for the Night. He’d two Days till he needed to be at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it was a ten and a-half hour drive. They coulda cut down I-Seventy-Seven till they were just outside Columbia, South Carolina, where they woulda hit I-Twenty-Six till it merged with I-Ninety-Five, but her man’d wanted a Night at home while he was relatively close by.

Since heading home for the Night added a mere hour and a-half to their total drive to their next venue, Rob was able to talk the others into it. He hadn’t been able to help cracking up since they were still under the impression that he lived in Orlando, but he’d made a fairly solid point. Not only could they start fresh in the Morn–which’d allow their driver more Time to do his job without having to stop for sleep–even a couch was better than their bunks, if they could have it.

Due to how big a yard he now owned, his main concern was that the buses not be parked where their stationary weight’d break any pipes. God only knew that he didn’t want raw sewage backing up into his house, or the ground winding up flooded ’cuz Water couldn’t make it from his Well to the house. But that meant that not only could the rest of Poison technically crash at his place, so could at least one other band. In the End, that other band wound up being The Winery Dogs since they weren’t exactly close with Mötley and Def Leppard–at least, not close enough to Reveal where he lived to them.

“Gotta say, it looks totally your style from the outside,” Bret chuckled as they disembarked their bus once it was parked.

“It looks better in broad Daylight,” the Silver Fox laughed, heading up to the front door with Zeph’s carrier in hand.

“Even in the Dark, it doesn’t seem like anything _too_ flashy,” the drummer mused.

“And God knows that if any of us _doesn’t_ like flashy when it comesta our homes, it’s you,” CC told him.

“What can I say? I’m nothing but a simple hipster at heart,” Rob said, a bit startled when the front door suddenly swung open before he could even fish out his keys.

“Hey, Dad!” Gunnar laughed, Grayson a few steps behind him.

“Ya lil rascal,” he chuckled, ruffling the taller teen’s hair as the guys–even those from the other band–shot him confused looks. “Trying to take ten Years off my Life, huh?”

“Nah, Zak did enough of that last Year,” the shorter teen laughed, taking the carrier from him.

“Just home for the Night?” his twin queried as they headed deeper into the house so everyone else could come in behind them.

“Yeah, ’cuz I gotta be in Miami Day after tomorrow,” the Silver Fox answered. “Well, all of us band members do, anywhore.”

Once everybody’d migrated into the living room, Rob started introducing everybody so he could clear up confusion. The twins were ecstatic to meet the rest of Poison, considering how much they loved them as a band–that even included Richie. And Naturally, said band mates were not only more than happy to meet them, but glad when he explained that they were his more or less adopted sons.

Finding Space around the living room and breakfast nook since they were the two closest rooms without walls between them, everybody settled so they could wind down. Mishy took Zeph to her nursery so she could be put to bed for the Night, but not before her daddy got a chanceta say good Night to her. He made damn sure he got to do that after singing her choice lullabye to her, which knocked her out again since she’d woken up a bit from being brought into the house. Only once she was dead to the World again did he relinquish her, the guys all knowing to keep it down now without being told to.

Grayson proved to be the more astute of the twins, though, ’cuz he was the one who picked up on his adoptive dad’s deliriously good mood. Since his _fiancé_ wasn’t in the room to prove it at the moment, the Silver Fox simply chuckled and said that that usually happened after a damn good show. Being able to swing a Night at home before their next two shows, which led up to about a week off, woulda just made his mood even better.

“Oh, you’re not fooling me that easily, Dad,” he laughed. “There’s more to it than what you’re saying, and I know it.”

“Gee, whatever gives ya that idea, son?” Rob chuckled.

“How ’bout the stupid-happy grins everyone else’s wearing?” Gunnar suggested with a laugh of his own.

“Damn it, guys–you’re supposed to be helping me fuck with them!” he said, even though his grin never faded.

“Ha, so called it!” the shorter teen cheered, punching the Air triumphantly.

“Called what?” Mishy queried as she rejoined the group once their daughter’d been put to bed.

“That Dad’s hiding something that’s feeding his good mood!” the taller teen answered.

_“Weeeell…”_ She couldn’t bite back a giggle as she hid her hands in her pockets.

“Aw, c’mon, Mom!” Grayson veritably begged. “Ya gotta let us in on it since everybody else apparently knows!”

“All right, all right,” the blonde woman giggled. “We’re all in such good moods, ’cuz Dad proved he’s still the same sweetheart I fell in Love with all those Years ago.”

Rob couldn’t help a chuckle as they turned their attention onto him. “I’m not the one wearing the ring to prove it–yet.”

Both their jaws dropped as his _fiancé_ pulled her left hand outta her pocket and extended it so they could get a good look. Keeping his touch gentle, the shorter twin grabbed hold of her fingertips so he could hold her hand still, his eyes somehow widening even more. His twin’s did the same as Gunnar got his own good look at the ring that hadn’t been there when she’d flown out to California at the start of rehearsals.

Made of either Silver, Platinum, or White-Gold, the band itself seemed like it was on the plain side, as far as they could tell. It was the Flowers–which looked like Roses–on one side of its Stone, the Rabbit on the other, that were far from being plain. While the Rabbit kinda blended into the band as far as its Color went, the Flowers were made of what appeared to be Rose- and Yellow-Gold.

However, it was the Stone that seemed to stand out the most, prolly ’cuz it wasn’t the Traditional Diamond that most engagement rings seemed to be adorned with. Even the taller twin thought it was a very Light Amethyst at first, but Rob was quick to correct them on that. While he was pretty sure it technically _was_ a type of Amethyst, the Stone was said to be Lavender Quartz, which was why it was purple. But it matched the smaller Stone on the side of its anchor that was just beneath it, that second Stone being Pink Sapphire.

“What madeja decide on this one, though?” Grayson queried curiously.

“Good question, kid, ’cuz even the rest of us’ve been wondering that,” Bret chuckled.

“The _Alice in Wonderland_ theme that popped into mind when I bought Mishy’s necklace while she was pregnant with Zeph,” he answered with a chuckle of his own.

“Wait, what?” Even Richie looked confused till she pulled said pendant out from where it was hidden in her cleavage.

“I told her when I gave it to her five months into her pregnancy not to make me regret giving her the key to my Rabbit hole, ’cuz it led straight to my heart,” the Silver Fox explained.

“Now whatcha said when ya popped the question makes more sense!” CC laughed. “’Cuz I was wondering about that…”

“What’d he say?” Gunnar queried, cocking a brow.

“I asked her to gimme a second chance at jumping down the Rabbit hole with her,” Rob answered with a grin. “’Cuz I knew it’d spark memories of when I gave her necklaceta her, and she’d get it without having to ask what I meant.”

“And I’m all for jumping down the Rabbit hole, as long as he’s with me,” she veritably purred as she perched on the arm of his chair.

“Fuck, I’m glad our rooms’re upstairs,” the taller teen laughed.

“We might End up sleeping in the garage, anywhore, if they get noisy enough again,” his brother said. “Not that I’d blame them tonight.”

“Our house, so we’ll get as noisy as we wanna,” the Silver Fox retorted.

“And that’s my cue to go sleep on the bus,” Zoe giggled. “I’d rather hear a bunch of snoring and farting versus what I’ll hear, if I go upstairsta my own room.”

He couldn’t help cracking up since he knew exactly why his grown daughter was saying that, which made even Richie cock a brow at him. Since he was laughing almost too hard to breathe, Mishy let out a giggle of her own and started to explain, even as her face turned red. It was amusing to think about, considering that they honestly hadn’t meant for such a thing to happen.

All of the guys burst into laughter of their own once it was explained, then turned grins on the trio of kiddos. Even Billy was cool with them joining them on their buses so they wouldn’t be tormented, if they felt the need for such a thing. It was pretty easy to imagine that they wouldn’t wanna hear such racket once, let alone a subsequent Time, if they’d already had to hear it before. After all, most folks didn’t like thinking about their parents getting down and dirty, deeming it gross for such a thing to even occur.

“I mean, I’m almost seventy, and I don’t like thinking about how my parents _had_ to’ve got at it at least once,” the elderly bassist admitted. “But I know it happened, or I wouldn’t exist.”

“I’ll admit that I don’t really remember much from being Mama and Daddy split up, ’cuz I was so young,” the youngest woman said. “I couldn’t tell ya if they were that noisy then or not. But let’s just say that as far as I know, Daddy wasn’t a screamer when it involved Raven–and if he _was,_ he took that shit to _her_ house so Zak and I wouldn’t have to hear it.”

“I only confirm that I took my wildest shenanigansta Raven’s house,” Rob laughed. “Beyond that, I admit nothin’!”

“Don’t look at me,” his best friend chuckled from where she sat on the multi-instrumentalist’s other side. “If he ain’t gonna _kiss and tell,_ then neither am I.”

“I don’t think ya have to, girl,” Rikki laughed. “I think we know all we need to based on that lil bit combined of tour memories from decades past.”

“Ain’t that the Truth?” the blonde front man agreed.

“He never was one to go at it in the middle of the backstage after-parties back then, but he might as well’ve been,” CC said. “’Cuz even a cinder block wall didn’t do much to muffle him, and I’m not too sure how much the alcohol’d to do with that back then.”

“I still admit nothin’,” he chuckled, even though his grin said it all.

“Then we’re out,” Bret laughed. “We’ll grab another shower before we leave in the Morn, ’cuz I ain’t sticking around and getting scarred for Life.”

Even Billy–who was known for doing some wild shit back in the Day–agreed with that sentiment as he made to push himself up from the table in the breakfast nook. They all agreed that it was better to give the couple privacy to celebrate their engagement however they saw fit. After all, they might have a week or so off coming up, but no doubt they didn’t wanna wait till then for such a celebration since the Silver Fox’d insisted on coming home for the Night.

Once the house was cleared out, Rob turned his attention to said _fiancé,_ who couldn’t help a shiver at the look in his eyes. Already appearing pitch-black–which she wasn’t sure was a trick of the Light or something else–that look currently in them could only be described as downright predatory. She knew it was a good thing that Zeph’s nursery was across the house from the master suite, or they’d wind up keeping the poor baby up all Night. But she also knew that her man wouldn’t hurt her, if he could help it–even at his wildest, he always seemed to use the utmost gentleness on her.

Before long, they were locked in the master suite, their clothes scattered into every corner of the room. Looking up once she was pinned to their bed, Mishy couldn’t help a giggle as she noticed her bra hanging by one strap from the ceiling fan over their heads. Her man glanced back over his shoulder to find out what was so funny and couldn’t help a laugh of his own, but that soon died away.

Turning his attention to the task at hand, the Silver Fox soon had her reduced to a whimpering, writhing mess beneath him. Her swollen breaths heaved with the wild panting that followed her third orgasm, which made him grin as much as the slight flush to her entire body. Seeing her like this never failed to leave him painfully aroused, if he hadn’t already reached that point. But that meant he was more than riled up enough to give her a helluva Time between the sheets, whether those sheets were on this bed or the mattress of his bunk. Considering that it was oft harder for older men to respond like that, he counted it as a good thing since he definitely wasn’t getting any younger. For that reason, he turned his attention to continuing the fun for as long as his body’d cooperate with them.

It wasn’t till easily four in the Morn before they were both sated enough to sleep and too exhausted to stay up any longer. Rob groaned softly as he finally flopped down on his side of the bed, making it bounced slightly beneath his weight. He couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face, if he’d tried, as his _fiancé_ snuggled against his side, an arm draped over his chest and a leg draped over his hips. This was something he hadn’t seen coming in a million Years once their divorce’d been finalized, and he certainly didn’t Intend to take it for granted. And it was for that reason that he poured every possible ounce of Love into the kiss he gave her before they both drifted off while they could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a few different pics for visual purposes. I basically combined my favorite elements of all three variants of this ring to come up with what's supposed to be Mishy's engagement ring. Honestly, I've never been much of an _Alice in Wonderland_ kinda gal–I'm more of a _Sailor Moon_ kinda chick. But the _Sailor Moon_ -themed bridal set from this Creator didn't have a matching mens' wedding band, which was why I didn't pick it.
> 
> That being said, hopefully this gives a better idea of what I was trying to describe since I was at level stupid-tired when I wrote that part of the chapter last Night. Now, I'm off to very likely write up a chapter for my rant book over on Wattpad due to some personal turmoil–if the headache I've acquired since waking up around 0530'll lemme, that is.  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Alice_ Engagement Ring V1–https://nba22qsjmu3cvupq154bh8vr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/alice-in-wonderland-lavender-quartz-gold-rabbit-ring-59.jpg
> 
> Link to _Alice_ Engagement Ring V2–https://nba22qsjmu3cvupq154bh8vr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/alice-in-wonderland-lavender-quartz-gold-rabbit-ring-5.jpg
> 
> Link to _Alice_ Engagement Ring V3–https://nba22qsjmu3cvupq154bh8vr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/alice-in-wonderland-lavender-quartz-gold-rabbit-ring-8.jpg


	10. Ten

What felt like way too early the next Day–even though it was roughly Noon–Rob was up and at ’em, even though he didn’t wanna be. If he were completely honest, he’d much rather still be sprawled out in his bed with his _fiancé_ either all but sprawled atop him, or curled up at his side. That wasn’t gonna happen, though, as evidenced by how Zeph’d woken up around eight, which called said woman into motherly duty.

Even though Mishy’d come back to bed around eleven once she’d gotten their daughter down again for her nap, he felt like they hadn’t gotten enough Time together. At least he’d only another two shows before that scheduled break they were all supposed to get before continuing the tour through July. Their last show before another, longer break was at the PNC Park in Pittsburg, and he was already looking forward to coming home to his family again. He knew he was gonna be exhausted by then, but at least this wasn’t the first Time he’d been on tour.

Taking his Time with telling his _fiancé_ and kids–biological _and_ adopted–goodbye, the Silver Fox practically dragged ass with getting back on his bus. One good thing was that–although as it came as a surpriseta him–Raven was gonna be staying on the road with them. What made it a surprise was the _reason_ why she was joining them, but he couldn’t say it was a bad one.

It turned out that she, Mishy, and Julia’d been having private conversations since before the tour even kicked off. They’d been discussing whether or not she should even try an open relationship with Richie since she’d made no bones about her attraction to him, and his own attraction to _her_ was pretty obvious, too. Just as she always was, his best friend was pretty open about trying such a thing, but insisted on leaving it up to the other couple. Naturally, they were a bit dubious about trying such a thing, but they’d eventually decided that it was better than cheating. Besides, it’d keep his former band mate from sleeping with every groupie that threw herself at him while they were on the road, which’d no doubt save them some fighting and a few headaches later.

The other part that made it a surprise for Rob was that his _fiancé’d_ agreed to let him continue his private shenanigans with the shorter brunette woman, even before he’d proposed. He obviously didn’t have to do any such thing, if he didn’t wanna, but the option was there, should he decide that he was on the verge of exploding in a bad way. After watching their pre-show scene the Day previous, Mishy trusted his best friend to take care of him while they were separated. If that meant sleeping with him to keep him from doing anything stupid, that was between the two of them. Even going so far as a threesome with the multi-instrumentalist was up to them, although it prolly wouldn’t happen.

“Missing them already, huh?”

Reaching up to pull a hat he hadn’t worn since the early-nineties off his face since he’d stretched out in his claimed recliner, the Silver Fox couldn’t help a chuckle. “Can ya really blame me, numb-skull?”

“Fuck, no,” Bret laughed as he settled in the recliner next to him. “God knows I miss Kristi and the girls.”

“Difference is, ya didn’t just propose to her last fuckin’ Night,” he said.

“No, but admit it–I remember the Anxiety leading up to a proposal and the elation afterward well enough,” the front man chuckled.

“Says he who’s never even made it down the aisle!” Rob laughed, both knowing he wasn’t trying to be malicious when he said that.

“So, I figured out that being tied down to just one woman ain’t for me,” he retorted.

“At least, not legally,” the Silver Fox mused. “’Cuz no one but _you_ ever saidja _had_ to get married.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bret queried, cocking a brow as Rikki and CC joined them from the bunk room.

“Man, if I gotta be honest, I’ve all but been married to Raven since we met in 2005,” he told him. “Butcha don’t see rings and a piece of paper keeping _us_ together.”

“Not quite sure we follow, dude,” the drummer admitted, confusion marring his features.

“Raven’s admitted that she’s too flighty for marriage,” Rob explained. “Doesn’t mean she’s a commitment-phobe or anything like that–she just doesn’t wanna be tied down to just one guy.”

“Oh, really?” His brows shot up in surprise.

“She’s polyamorous,” the Silver Fox chuckled. “Meaning that she believes in letting multiple guys fill metaphoric holes, rather than trying to nab some unattainable sense of perfection with just one.”

“That…actually makes sense,” the guitarist mused, a thoughtful look on his face.

“All right, not saying that it actually means anything–just speaking hypothetically here,” he said. “She tendsta gravitate toward blue eyes–doesn’t matter what shade, as long as they’re blue. That means that any of y’all or even Richie could catch her interest for that, alone.”

All three blondes nodded to show they were following.

“But she was attracted to how Dark and Mysterious _I_ am right off the bat, and my Dark eyes only added fuel to _that_ Fire,” Rob continued.

“Damn, seriously?” Bret queried with a laugh.

“I shit y’all not,” the Silver Fox answered. “So, still speaking hypothetically here–let’s say she’d to choose between me and whatever blue-eyed guy caught her eye. Raven ain’t gonna choose either of us–she’ll as soon walk away from both as be forced into that kinda position.”

Even Rikki cocked his head thoughtfully, quick to admit that what he said about his best friend’s stance on Romance’d some merit to it. He’d seen far too many relationships go down the shitter ’cuz the couple forced themselves to settle for just one person, which oft led to cheating. But that made him curious about whether he’d even considered engaging in such things with her, let alone actually done it.

Grinning as he shrugged, Rob admitted that they’d never been in any kinda open relationship like that–at least, not officially. As far as he knew, she’d never slept with anyone else unless they were completely off, ’cuz she’d have told him that she was even considering such a thing. Her biggest thing was complete and total Honesty, which meant that all parties knew about one another and consented to it. Since she’d never mentioned such a thing, he assumed that he was the only one she was with when they were together like that and left it at that.

Naturally, the others were curious about how things stood between them, now that he and Mishy were back together. Things weren’t like they were thirty Years ago, and given that he’d mellowed out quite a bit since he quit drinking, they weren’t too sure whether he Intended to go after groupies while on the road or not. After all, they’d never noticed him do such a thing unless they knew for sure that he was single, but he’d always been the Mysterious one outta them for a reason.

Letting out a laugh, the Silver Fox admitted that if there was anyone he’d screw around with while he was with his _fiancé,_ it was Raven. That was not only ’cuz he still found her attractive, even now, but ’cuz she was such a stickler on Honesty. He’d seen her cut even her nieces and nephews outta her Life without a second Thought, if they told her a lie about anything short of a surprise party for her birthday. Only when the lie was severe enough–such as when one of her nephews swore he was being faithful when he was really cheating on his wife–did she make that kinda thing permanent. She usually tried to give a second chance, but no more than that, and especially not if her reason for not even giving a second chance was bad enough.

Rob’s expression and the look in his eyes hardened, though, as he further admitted that a lotta his best friend’s ways’d rubbed off on him over the Years. He didn’t tend to give second chances without a damn good reason anymore like when he was a young man just getting their band off the ground. If someone screwed him over, that was generally it–he cut all ties and never spoke to the person again, no matter how hard that person might try. That was why he’d waffled on giving things with his _fiancé_ a second shot, ’cuz he’d honestly considered simply doing his part to help raise Zeph without getting back together with her.

“I mean, for the Love of God,” he said as their bus finally took off. “Don’tcha think it’d be pretty hard to trust the woman ya caught in bed with your best friend while ya were married to her after that?”

“No fuckin’ shit, man,” CC grumbled, rolling his eyes. “I’m _still_ surprisedja didn’t make good on your threat to throw him out your bedroom window.”

“Only Patty being there and threatening to sedate me stopped me, God rest her Soul,” the Silver Fox admitted. “If not for that, I _woulda_ thrown his nekkid ass out my window while I was too doped-up to feel whatever I wound up doing to myself after that surgery.”

“It’s a fuckin’ miracle ya managed to give Mishy a second chance, then,” he said.

“Figured out the hard way that I’d never gotten over her, and I was never gonna.” Rob shrugged. “’Cuz trust me, if not even Raven could Change that, no other woman’s gonna, either.”

“That’s saying something, based on what lil we’ve learned about her,” Bret chuckled.

“Oh, she’s definitely a one-of-a-kind chick,” he laughed. “But I think that’s why she’s to almost literally beat guys off with a stick half the Time.”

“Kinda makes me wonder what’s gonna happen on the rest of the tour, though,” Rikki mused, unable to help a grin. “I mean, I don’t expect her to go celibate monk on us or anything, but if _that’s_ how she tendsta think…”

“When that woman’s single, she does whatever the fuck she wants, and fuck everybody else,” the Silver Fox said with a grin of his own. “But let her get Emotionally attached to someone, and she’s as steadfast and loyal as I’ve ever seen a woman.”

“Damn, are we gonna have to worry aboutcha trying to flip the bus over with some wild shit that involves her?” the front man cackled.

“Not unless she busts out the floggersta make me howl and dance,” Rob snickered. “’Cuz otherwise, I’d prefer a hotel since we can _definitely_ get a lil wild sometimes.”

His choice phrasing wasn’t lost on his band mates, whose jaws all dropped as he practically admitted that he’d gladly sleep with his best friend. But they seemed a lil too dumbfounded to question whether or not Mishy already knew he’d even consider that, or if he’d ’fess up to her after he got back home. That was fine by him, though, ’cuz he really didn’t wanna explain that kinda shit to them–he considered his private Life just that, after all.

Settling in so he could go back to sleep while he could, the Silver Fox dropped his hat back down on his head. His voice was a bit muffled as he told them to leave him alone before he turned into an ass later, ’cuz he hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep for his liking. If he didn’t catch a nap at some point since the drive from one venue to the next was always boring, it wouldn’t be good for them.

Not even CC dared to be too noisy, even after heading to the back lounge so there was plenty of distance between them. Aside from obviously being tired, he was in such a good mood after the Success of last Night’s proposal that none of them wanted to ruin that. They all preferred that he get his chanceta ride that high till it wore off on its own, ’cuz God only knew that starting to plan the wedding once the tour Ended wasn’t gonna be fun. Or rather, it’d most likely be fun for the newly-engaged couple, but it’d be stressful as hell from blending both their styles–again.


	11. Eleven

_July, 2021_

Two Days shy of a month later, Rob couldn’t help a groan as he unfolded himself from the back of the cab now parked outside his house. It’d been agreed that all the band members’d fly into the airports closest to their homes, their buses all heading down to the next tour stop in Jacksonville, Florida to await them. With most of the band members living in Southern California, he being the only one to live on the opposite side of the country, it certainly made more sense that way.

But even a three and a-half-hour flight from Pittsburgh, Penn down to Raleigh’d set off his neck so that he just couldn’t get comfortable. No matter what position he managed to squirm into on said flight–and later in the aforementioned cab–he was in too much pain to sleep. It was common ever since his original injury in 1990, but even after his surgery in the Summer of 2001.

“Gimme a sec, and I’ll help y’all with your bags,” the cabbie chuckled.

“Ya won’t even have a chanceta get out before the wrecking crew arrives,” Raven giggled. She’d flown and ridden back with her friend since they were next-door neighbors.

“That so, huh?” he queried, surprised when the front door opened.

“Dad!” the twins called as they ran down off the front porch.

“Hey there, boys!” the Silver Fox laughed, letting out an _Oof!_ as barreled into him. “Easy, boys–my neck’s acting up right now.”

“Git!” Gunnar said, swatting him across the behind as he shooed him off toward the house. “Don’t even think of picking up a _coffee mug_ right now!”

“We’ll deal with your bags, Dad,” his twin agreed. “Raven’s, too, for that matter.”

“Got Dad’s!” the taller twin said, leaving him no choice but to head in.

“I’ll handle Raven’s!” Grayson told him, his attention already focused on the task at hand.

Chuckling as he headed into his house, Rob wasn’t about to argue with either of the boys while they were feeling helpful. Loading his bags into the cab after collecting them from baggage claim hadn’t been fun, but it never was when his neck was feeling mutinous. But as he recalled from when Zak was a teen, it was best to just leave teenagers alone when they were actually willing to get off their ass and help out. That went doubly so for when they weren’t even asked to, but rather just got up and did it ’cuz they genuinely wanted to.

Mishy was waiting just inside the front door as her _fiancé_ walked up, their daughter cradled in her left arm. Said baby’d apparently sensed that Daddy was on his way home, ’cuz she’d woken up around five and had been practically vibrating ever since. Nothing she tried could settle her down enough to go back to sleep, and her excitement only seemed to grow once she clapped eyes on her daddy.

A soft chuckle rumbled up from his throat as Rob managed to haul himself up the front stairs, which felt more like forty-three of them instead of a mere three. The main reason he felt like that was his neck acting up, but a lotta it was also just the wear and tear of the road. It didn’t matter how old a person was–eventually, they’d start feeling like somebody’d thrown them in an industrial dryer and turned it on so they were tumbled around for hours or Days on End.

“Welcome back, love,” his _fiancé_ said, reaching up to gently pull him down for a kiss.

_“Ssss,_ ow,” the Silver Fox winced, grimacing instead of puckering up like she’d been expecting.

Mishy gasped and yanked her hand back, even taking a step back as he reached up to rub the back of his neck.

“Hey, it’s all right, sweetheart,” Rob chuckled. “Can’t help that flying makes my neck commit mutiny these Days.”

“Are ya sure?” the blonde woman queried uncertainly.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he answered, nodding. “Just don’t try grabbing me by the neck and pulling me down like that for a Day or two.”

“Sounds like ya could use a helluva massage,” she chuckled, finally starting to relax.

“Definitely couldn’t hurt,” the Silver Fox admitted. “Hell, that’d prolly help since it’d untie some of the knots in my neck and shoulders.”

“That pull on the bones funny enough to act up or something?” Mishy asked, leading him over to the couch.

“Yeah, actually.” He managed to nod, but it was obviously painful for him.

“Then sit your tush down,” the blonde woman told him. “Somebody wants Daddy cuddles, and that can’t possibly be a bad thing, either.”

“Definitely not,” Rob chuckled, gladly taking his younger daughter from her once he’d sat down. “Hey there, baby girl–Daddy missed chu bunches!”

Zeph let out a squeal that was obviously happy, more or less babbling at him as she reached for his hair.

“Don’t pull on Daddy’s hair, chu booger,” the Silver Fox warned her. “Daddy’s noggin hurts, and pulling it’ll make mah noggin hurt even worse.”

Mishy couldn’t help giggling as she moved behind the couch so she could get a good grip on his neck. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear their three-month-old daughter understood exactly what he said to her, judging by how she just barely grabbed the tips of his hair. She obviously couldn’t speak yet, but it was pretty apparent that she wasn’t a stupid child, despite her age.

But the pleasured, yet pained groan her _fiancé_ let out as she started digging into his neck and shoulders said even more. She almost stopped the massage she’d started to give him and let go, startled by that sudden Sound that she wasn’t accustomed to. However, he was quick to stop her by reaching up with his free hand, which gently clamped around her wrist. Managing to glance back over his shoulder at her, he swore that he was fine, but there wasn’t much she could do to avoid hurting him as she was working those knots out for him.

“It’s mostly the bones and whatnot hurting, anywhore,” Rob said as the boys finally came in with his bags after helping Raven with hers.

“You’re sure about that?” the blonde woman queried, sounding uncertain.

“If I gotta describe it, it’s almost like there’s a live wire in the vertebrae,” he answered, nodding. “Getting those knots outta the muscles’ll help by stopping them from pulling on the bones as hard.”

“But other than that, nothing can be done, right?” Mishy asked.

“Not unless I want another surgery–which I don’t really need–or to wind up addicted to something,” the Silver Fox told her. “Right now, it feels like it did all those Years _before_ I’d that surgery–I get those knots outta my muscles, and it’ll quit hurting till I jerk my head wrong or something.”

“So, what exactly happened to your neck, Dad?” Grayson queried as the boys joined them.

“Youthful stupidity and too much hard work,” he chuckled, settling back a bit as his _fiancé_ started digging in again.

“Yeah, I seem to recall that being about right,” Mishy giggled.

“Uh, maybe being a lil more specific’d be helpful?” Gunnar suggested.

“I spent too many Years doing physical labor before the band–carpentry, Clam-digging, pretty much anything ya could think of,” Rob told them. “Add in constantly moving my own gear from one gig to the next before we’d a road crew, and that all eventually took its toll.”

“Your antics onstage didn’t help with that,” his _fiancé_ laughed, gently shaking him as if to drive the point home.

“No, all that running, spinning, and jumping off everything in sight back then didn’t help me a damn bit,” the Silver Fox agreed with a laugh of his own. “Eventually, my neck decided it was gonna cry _Uncle!,_ and boy did it ever when it did.”

Grinning as he readjusted Zeph so he’d a better grip on her for when he undoubtedly started going limp, he recounted some of the tamer tales from Poison’s earliest Days. A lotta the shit they did in their Music videos was more or less everyday Life for them, and it was most definitely fueled by drugs and alcohol. What was in any of their systems at any given Time depended on which band member they were talking about at any given Time.

Rob shot the boys a hard look as he made it clear that he most certainly _wasn’t_ encouraging such behavior in them–he was just stating facts. But he also didn’t try to hide a fact about himself that even his _fiancé’d_ never known before, ’cuz he hadn’t wanted to admit it back then. Part of it was that he honestly hadn’t thought he’d a problem, another part was that he was genuinely ashamed of himself and his behavior once he finally _did_ admit it. That was no doubt part of what’d led to them splitting up, and it was one of the few things he truly regretted in his Life.

Even Mishy was shocked when he admitted that he hadn’t just been a drunk way back in the Day–he was also a former cocaine addict. In fact, she was so shocked that her hands fell still in their task for a few moments as she processed what he’d just said. Course, the Silver Fox’d been expecting that reaction, which was why his reaction was blank when he glanced over his shoulder at her.

“I–I just…” She clearly couldn’t even find words at the moment.

“I toldja, not one of my best moments, and I’m nowhere near proud of it,” Rob said. “Letting CC talk me into trying that shit one Night before I even metcha damn near ruined my Life–in more ways than one.”

“Wait, _CC’s_ the one that gotcha hooked?” the taller twin queried, his eyes widening even more.

“He was the one who’d a steady supply of it back in 1986,” he answered. “I mean, Bret and Rikki did their fair share of dabbling, too, but it was just that for them–dabbling.”

Both boys nodded, having done plenty of research on the history of the band as a whole.

“One Night, I took it a lil too far with the drinking,” the Silver Fox recalled. “Not far enough to warrant getting my stomach pumped, but far enough that even coffee couldn’t get my ass in gear the next Morn like it normally did.”

“Ouch,” the shorter twin winced.

“That led to C offering me a bump since it seemed like nothing else was gonna work,” Rob continued. “Any tales ya hear about some things taking only one hit to get a person hooked, believe them–that’s what happened to me.”

“How the hell’dja ever keep it Hidden from Mom?” Gunnar asked, Curiosity mixing with confusion in his expression.

“’Cuz I’ma Naturally hyper bastard,” he laughed. “It’s part of being certain Zodiac signs, which I didn’t find out till _after_ she and I split up.”

“Wait, really?” His twin looked surprised.

“Scorpio–which’s what _I_ am–Sagittarius, and Pisces’re some of the most active Zodiac signs,” the Silver Fox explained. “They’re the ones with the highest Energy levels that’re always wanting to _go-go-go.”_

“That explains why you’re constantly moving in your sleep, even if you’re drop-dead exhausted when ya go to bed,” Mishy giggled.

Groaning as she finally got her brain back in gear enough to continue with the massage she’d been giving him, he was quick to nod his agreement. Once he was physically capable of speech again, Rob continued his tale by saying that–at least, in _his_ case–it was hard to tell high Energy levels from being whacked-out on an upper. It was for that reason that his _fiancé’d_ never known that he was a coke-head in addition to being a serious drunk back in the Day.

But that was one of the biggest reasons why he’d wound up going to rehab in the mid-nineties–he’d no choice, if he wanted to live any longer. Roughly ten Years of snorting that shit’d not only more or less rotted his sinuses, but it’d started causing other Health problems. He’d higher blood pressure than in his early-twenties, and it wasn’t necessarily a result of getting older. Not only that, but the heart palpitations were starting to get outta Control by that point, and that certainly wasn’t a good thing. And that wasn’t even including the constant shaking, especially when he’d quit drinking entirely on his own.

For the first Time in his Life, the Silver Fox admitted that it wasn’t just a case of delirium tremens that’d damn near scared Zak into his own grave. He’d been high as a kite on coke the Day he’d lapsed into a seizure next to their bed, but he’d been too damn good at hiding it at that point. But being so good at hiding his addiction’d damn near killed him, and he knew he’d to make a Change.

Ever since going to rehab, Rob’d been completely clean of both alcohol _and_ cocaine, and he fully Intended to keep it that way. He’d lucked out by not suffering severe heart damage as a result of those Years that he was addicted, and getting clean’d lowered his blood pressure to a more normal level. The only real problem he seemed to have these Days was ornery sinuses, ’cuz he’d either get congested easily or he’d have an almost constant runny nose. Beyond that, one couldn’t tell he’d ever been addicted to that shit, and he never wanted to go back there. He was too used to living Life completely sober, and he didn’t want a memory refresher of what being high felt like. Not only that, but even a single drink or line could kill him now since he wasn’t used to it being in his system anymore.

The boys both shooting looks behind him made him cock a brow curiously, ’cuz he could tell they were up to something. Mishy giggling behind him as she finally let go of his shoulders, now that he’d practically turned to putty, only reinforced that assumption. But he was too damn tired after the last month to question any of them about it, his baby girl now snoozing against his chest only serving to make him even sleepier. It was for that reason that he didn’t try to fight when she insisted he go get some sleep while he could, that they’d talk about it later. These Days, she was a woman of her word, and he knew that getting some rest first’d help him focus on whatever she wanted to talk about.

It wasn’t long afterward that the Silver Fox was settled in their bed, Zeph cooing in her sleep as he kept her snuggled against his now-bare chest. With father and daughter sleeping peacefully, his _fiancé_ quietly shooed the boys outta the master suite so they could get some rest. During her wait for him to eventually wake up again, she decided to take care of things like his laundry so he’d clean clothesta wear while he was home and once he hit the road again in a lil over two weeks.


	12. Twelve

It was a couple Days after getting home from this leg of his tour that Rob awoke to a bit of a commotion in his living room. With a displeased groan, he tossed his covers off himself, knowing there was no way he was getting back to sleep now. Considering that it was roughly one in the afternoon, it was prolly Time he got up so he’d stay on his tour schedule, anywhore.

Upon stepping into the living room–thankfully, after grabbing a pair of jeans–he cocked a brow at seeing Raven looking stressed as she pushed her hair back. Mishy looked worried as she cradled their daughter, who seemed obliviousta whatever was going on as she nursed happily. What on Earth could warrant his best friend coming over from her own house so suddenly, as much as she’d wanted some Time to herself, that could put that kinda look on his _fiancé’s_ face? Something told him he wasn’t gonna like the answer to that question as he buttoned the shirt he’d grabbed on his way to the living room.

“Oh, good–I _ain’t_ gonna have to come in there and drag ya outta bed by your balls,” the brunette woman sighed.

“Ya know you’re not allowed to do that shit unless you’re gonna gimme a damn good Time, girl,” he chuckled as he stretched. “So, what the hell’s _your_ boxers all knotted up?”

“You’re not gonna like the answer to that question,” Mishy answered with a sigh of her own.

“I already got that feeling, sweetheart,” the Silver Fox admitted. “Might as well just lay it on me so we can get the one-two punch to my brain over with.”

“Got a call from Julia this Morn,” his best friend said. “Remember how Richie was starting to feel under the Weather when we went our separate ways?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Rob answered, nodding. “He said he pretty much always gets sick within the first week of a tour, though, so he was kinda surprised that it took him this long to have that happen.”

“Well, she’d to rush him to the ER last Night, ’cuz he damn near fell down the stairs when a coughing fit hit and wouldn’t stop,” she told him.

“I don’t like the sound of where this is going even more now,” the Silver Fox admitted, his tone sounding apprehensive.

“We’re all on lockdown during our break, ’cuz he tested positive for _Godzilla Flu,”_ Raven told him.

“Wait, _what?”_ He let out a Finnish Curse as he accidentally slammed his hip into the island, he was so surprised as he worked on his typical cup of coffee.

“I Wish I were fuckin’ around,” the brunette woman said.

“How’s he doing now, though?” Rob queried.

“He’s not on Life support, if that’s what you’re asking,” she answered. “But he’s still in the ICU, just in case, ’cuz he’s feeling so rough from it.”

“Well, that’s a plus, if ever there _was_ one with this shit,” the Silver Fox sighed.

Nodding her agreement, Raven explained that–due to their close proximity to him in the couple Days leading up to this break, everybody involved with the tour was quarantined, effective immediately. Even the ones who weren’t showing any symptoms of contracting the virus were quarantined, considering that they might be asymptomatic carriers. That included any of their family members they’d come home to, ’cuz they could catch the virus just as easily–or spread it around, if they turned out to be one of those asymptomatic carriers.

He couldn’t help a groan as he nabbed his coffee mug once their Keurig settled down, ’cuz it brought back a few too many memories of just the Year previous. Course, he supposed that if there was one good thing about it this Time around–aside from Richie not being on Life support, that is–it was that he and Mishy were on far better terms going into it.

Said _fiancé_ couldn’t help a laugh as she moved their daughter to be burped, ’cuz she was in full agreement on that. Obviously, their top concern aside from their own Health was gonna be that of someone who was relatively closeta them. With that box already checked off for the Time being, it was being glad that nobody was on the verge of killing each other for shit that’d happened decades ago. They weren’t happy about the mandatory quarantine by any means, but it was better than other outcomes.

“And at least we don’t have to postpone any shows–yet,” Rob sighed, finally taking his first sip after letting his coffee cool a bit.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a plus,” his best friend agreed. “Provided that all goes the way we want it to, we’ll all be outta quarantine just in Time to make it to Jacksonville.”

“But we oughta talk about what’ll happen, if we _can’t_ make that date,” he admitted.

“Easy enough,” Raven chuckled, a grin splitting her face. “I’ve already said I’d fill in for Richie, if he’s still feeling a lil too rough by then, as long as _I_ don’t get sick, too.”

“Wait, really?” the blonde woman queried, her eyes widening.

“Sweetheart, when I say this woman’s a Siren with a voice like no other, I ain’t fuckin’ around,” the Silver Fox laughed. “I’ve heard her sound damn near identical to Bret one minute, Richie the next.”

“And if I put my mind to it, I can reach even more ungodly notes than Richie can,” Raven told her. “I’m talking Amy Lee of Evanescence and higher.”

“Holy shit,” she laughed, Zeph finally burping against her throat. “That’s some damn impressive vocals that I haven’t even heard!”

“Oh, that ain’t the End of it, either,” Rob chuckled. “Remember those lead-ins and that one-liner of mine from _Your Mama Don’t Dance?”_

“How can I forget them?” the blonde woman asked with a grin. “They’re fuckin’ sexy now just like they were back in 1988.”

“Raven can do them almost better than I can,” he told her. “I shitcha not, it’s almost like she’s a pair of balls hidden somewhere, she can hit such low notes when she wantsta.”

“I don’t hide my balls–I wear ’em in plain sight on my chest, ’cuz they’re too big to hide!” the brunette woman proudly proclaimed.

Rob couldn’t help cracking up at his best friend’s words, which woulda left him choking on his coffee, if he’d been stupid enough to take another sip. But that was one of the many things he loved about her–she’d a sense of humor that was every bit as twisted as his own, but she still had a serious side about her. That wasn’t including how loyal she was till she was given a reason not to be, or how she was a World-class listener till one got _too_ stupid and she cut them off mid-sentenceta tell them so.

After they’d all Calmed down so they could actually talk, the Silver Fox took a breath so he could suggest getting a lil extra work in on wedding plans. They weren’t Intent on doing anything as big and fancy as the first Time around, but it still couldn’t hurt to get it done while they could. Besides, they could look for ideas online since they were stuck in the house for two weeks, anywhore.

He didn’t get a chanceta get the words outta his mouth, though, before Mishy cut him off with a completely different topic. Apparently, Gunnar and Grayson were both wanting to join the final leg of the tour since they were bored and wanted something to do with themselves. They both realized that they were likely to get put to work doing _something,_ whether it was cleaning the bus or helping the roadies set up their gear onstage every Night. But they both felt that it’d be worth it, if they weren’t stuck in the house for the rest of the Summer, especially since Zak and Zoe’d once gotten to go with him.

“I mean, _I’m_ not gonna say no,” Rob said, not realizing the kids in question were listening from the top of the stairs. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to do that when I took Zak and Zoe for a couple different reasons, if I’ma treat the twins like my own.”

“I hear a _but_ in there,” his _fiancé_ giggled, a knowing look glittering in her eyes.

“Well, yeah,” the Silver Fox laughed. “I gotta talk it over with the guys and management to make sure _they’re_ cool with it, too.”

“Especially since it wasn’t like this was planned right from the get-go,” Raven agreed.

“Not only that, but it’d prolly be a good idea to get my attorney to draw something up that more or less makes me their legal guardian while we’re on the road,” he mused.

“I’d thought of that, myself,” Mishy agreed. “Yeah, I legally adopted them, but _you_ haven’t.”

“And Gods forbid we get into a wreck, or they’ve an accident while helping with setup that lands ’em in the ER,” the brunette woman said, unable to help a shiver.

“If it’s bad enough, doctors’ll just go ahead and do certain shit without waivers and whatnot being signed in an effort to save a Life,” Rob said. “But I don’t wanna find myself in a Minnesota ER with you giving me permission to sign off on something over the phone, and those idgits still not wanting to, just ’cuz I ain’t so much as a legal guardian.”

“Trust me, that was one of the things I considered when the boys first mentioned it,” she admitted. “I don’t think they realize just what all goes into parenting, but we both do.”

“Hell, even _I_ do, as long as I’ve known Rob,” his best friend laughed. “It ain’t a matter of just saying _yes_ or _no_ when there’s oft a legal aspect to it, as sad as that is to say.”

“I’ll say this now, though,” the Silver Fox told her. “Even if the guys and management _don’t_ agree, it still might be a good idea to look into making me a legal guardian, just in case I ever have a need for such a thing later on.”

“Can’t say I disagree, love,” his _fiancé_ agreed. “A Year and a-half or so doesn’t seem like very long–till you’ve to sign off on someone having surgery or something and get told thatcha don’t have the legal right to.”

“Gimme a few minutesta go make those calls, and then I say we jump on some minor wedding plans,” he told her. “I mean, why not since we’re on house arrest again and we can get just as many ideas online as we can in-store, unlike the first Time around?”

Grinning as she nodded her agreement, Mishy said that that sounded like a great idea to her, and that that was actually gonna be the next thing she talked to him about. She’d been the one to do most of the wedding planning the first Time around, simply ’cuz it was typically the bride’s role in addition to how busy he’d been. If it was at all possible, she wanted him to be more involved this Time around so that he felt like he’d a bigger say–not to mention to take some of the stress off herself.

Rob laughed as he headed off to the master suite so he could grab his phone off his nightstand, ’cuz he didn’t blame her in the slightest. He knew their first wedding’d been pretty stressful for her since she was the one doing almost all the planning and coordinating. If he could help her more this Time around, he was all for it, but he already had one thing he was putting his foot down on.

Not even Raven was surprised as they heard him call from the master bedroom that he absolutely _was not_ wearing white this Time around. He hadn’t liked that look on himself back in 1989, but he hadn’t exactly fought it for a couple different reasons. First and foremost was that he was pretty used to it due to Poison’s photo shoots, where he oft wound up dressed like that to make him stand out. Secondly was that at least his hair hadn’t blended into his suit jacket so that the two couldn’t be told apart, considering that he’d left his hair unbound then as much as he Intended to this Time around. Beyond those couple things, he wasn’t too fussy over the wedding and any theme it did or didn’t have.

After leaving voice mails for the guys–who apparently weren’t up for the Day yet–and their manager so they’d know to call him back, he headed back to the kitchen. His best friend informed him that she’d done the same with Richie since they’d actually traded numbers, but she was betting on him being asleep since he was so sick or his phone being dead. Nodding and settling on a bar stool so he’d be in the middle, he set his laptop on the counter in front of him. In the meantime, it was better to get on those wedding plans, which could be paused, if either of them got a phone call.


	13. Thirteen

A week later, everybody was already sick of being cooped up in their houses due to that mandatory quarantine, but there was some news that made them all happy. While it was far faster than the Kotzens’d been expecting, based on stories from others who’d come down with _Godzilla Flu,_ Richie was well on the road to recovery. In fact, they were surprised when just four Days in the ICU got him sent home with instructionsta rest and relax, rather than moved to a normal room for observation like they’d been expecting.

Only Rob knew that that was due to some very crafty planning on the part of his best friend, and that was simply ’cuz he’d helped her with what she’d done. Before they’d parted waysta head home for this break, she’d managed to swipe one of the multi-instrumentalist’s hairs from his hairbrush. She never did that kinda thing with any malicious Intent, but rather so she’d have things like that, if the need for them ever arose. In this case, her being sneaky like that instead of just outright asking him for a strand of hair–which woulda undoubtedly freaked him out–came in handy since it proved more than a lil useful to her.

But with another week or so till they were supposed to head out to meet up in Jacksonville, he still had a waysta go, if he were to be considered completely recovered. Even then, he’d still prolly need Raven to cover him on vocals for the first few shows, ’cuz getting out onstage with his guitar was likely gonna be pushing it. After all, he was still a lil on the weak side as it was, and while a week or so might do Wondersta help with that, it’d only go so far.

_“I’m still amazed by how quick I’ve been recovering so far,”_ Richie chuckled, his voice still sounding a lil rough, even over the phone.

“That’s the Beauty of magick, hon,” the brunette woman snickered, grinning at her best friend since they’d been hanging out on his back porch when her phone rang.

_“Wait, whaddaya mean?”_ he queried, sounding confused.

“Never knew that I’m an honest-to-Goddess Witch, didja?” Raven countered with a laugh.

_“You’re fuckin’ shitting me,”_ the multi-instrumentalist said, unable to help a cough he tried to muffle with the crook of his elbow.

“No, she’s not, kid,” Rob chuckled. “Trust me, it was a bit of a surpriseta me, too, but you’ll get used to it.”

_“Lemme process that, and I’ll get back to ya on how I feel about having spells cast on me,”_ Richie laughed.

“Not like there’s anything to be scared of–and I speak from experience when I say that, by the way,” the Silver Fox told him, surprising his _fiancé_ when he said that.

_“Seriously?”_ The surprise was evident in his voice when he asked that. _“You’re not pulling my leg or anything, are ya?”_

“Far from it,” he answered. “First Time I got sick out on the road and she found out about it, she put her talentsta good use. What woulda normally been me staying sick for two weeks turned into about five Days, then I was pretty much back to normal.”

_“That’s pretty much been my experience lately,”_ the multi-instrumentalist mused.

“It’s ’cuz of the Healing spell I helped her with, not to mention shit she’s toldja–like lace your coffee with honey since ya refuseta give it up in favor of tea,” Rob laughed.

Even Mishy seemed surprised by that, and she didn’t bother trying to hide it as she asked what they meant by that. The brunette woman grinned as she explained that while coffee technically wasn’t good for him since it was a diuretic and they wanted him to stay hydrated, she’d at least compromise on him lacing it with honey since it’d coat his throat. If nothing else, at least it was helping to Soothe said part of his anatomy–and therefore cut down on how much he was coughing without the use of medication–so she’d take what she could get.

Neither she, nor the Silver Fox were surprised when said man Circled back around to the Healing spell they’d both mentioned. Laughing it off, she said she’d explain it once they were able to meet up in person again, not necessarily ’cuz she Intended to hide anything from him. After all, a lotta folks were ignorant about Witchcraft and therefore didn’t like it, and she didn’t want him hanging up on her.

Richie wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, but he eventually acquiesced on the grounds that she actually kept her word about that. It was his former band mate who let out the last laugh as he assured him that if there was one thing she’d do, it was keep her word once she gave it. She was a damn good liar when she felt the need to be, but when it came to shit like this, she didn’t have a dishonest bone in her body. Even if she _tried_ to lie her way outta anything revolving around her Spirituality, she couldn’t keep up the ruse for very long. God only knew she’d tried that with him Years ago, and the guilt’d eaten at her till she’d finally come clean on her own.

Hearing that was a bit of a relief for the multi-instrumentalist, ’cuz he couldn’t stand liars–not after all the lies he’d told his former band mates back in the Day. The guilt’d eaten at him to the point that he’d finally broken down and come clean to Rikki, only to have it nearly End his career altogether. He’d learned his lesson with that kinda shit a long Time ago, and he refused to tolerate it in anyone around him, friend or otherwise.

“Trust me when I say she’s her reasons for wanting to wait till you’re in person, and I don’t blame her for having them,” Rob assured him.

_“Now, you’re just making me even more curious,”_ he chuckled, unable to help coughing once he’d gotten that sentence out.

“Well, part of it’s that the explanation’s long, and it can get kinda convoluted at Times,” the Silver Fox admitted. “It took her weeksta finally get it drilled through _my_ head in a way that made sense, and I ain’t heard of a cell phone or laptop battery that can last _that_ long.”

_“I haven’t even bothered unplugging my phone from the charger,”_ Richie admitted with a chuckle. _“Too lazy to do more than roll over and grab it off the nightstand right now, which means I don’t wanna fight to find the End of my charger later from it falling behind it.”_

“Hey, neither of us blame ya for that!” he laughed. “God knows I usually don’t wanna do more than that when I get sick enough.”

_“Oh, trust me_ – _you’ve never had anything like this, I’m sure,”_ the multi-instrumentalist said. _“Normally, I still wanna hit the stage, even when I’m sick_ – _right now, I could care less about doing even_ that.”

“Yeah, that’s not normal for a hyperactive rock star,” Raven agreed. “It’s almost impossible to get someone who loves hitting the stage to say that, so that’s how we know for sure that it’s bad.”

Rob could tell there was something else she wasn’t saying as they soon wrapped up their phone call so his former band mate could get some rest. He didn’t call her out on it as their own group soon headed back into the house since it was relatively hot out, but not the same way Florida was. No doubt doing that’d just set her off in a way that wouldn’t be pretty, so it was better to just let her tell in her own good Time.

Later that Eve, as they were setting up for their annual _Lughnasadh_ Ritual, the Silver Fox was still a bit suspicious of his best friend. He still refused to confront her about anything, so he was a bit surprised when she looked up at him with a bit of a resigned look in her eyes. That was enough to take anyone who knew her well by surprise, and it was the very reason he paused in what he was doing.

“I know you’re still curious about earlier,” Raven sighed.

“Not about the Healing spell since I know ya too well,” he chuckled. “I know ya didn’t take and use Richie’s hair with any ill Intent, ’cuz you’d never do that to someone ya love and care about.”

“That wasn’t what I was talking about, andja know it,” the brunette woman laughed.

“Too well I know it–I just wasn’t gonna ask since I know you’ll tell in your own good Time, or never at all,” Rob agreed with a grin.

“But you’re still curious about what I meant with what I told Richie about knowing it ain’t good when a rocker who loves the stage doesn’t wanna go on, ’cuz they feel like shit,” she told him.

“Like I said, I wasn’t gonna ask since I know ya well,” the Silver Fox reiterated.

“Remember when I got so sick in August of 2019?” Raven queried.

“Yeah, ’cuz it was the worst fuckin’ cold you’ve ever gotten since we met,” he answered.

“It wasn’t a cold–it was _Godzilla Flu,”_ the brunette woman told him.

“What?” Rob couldn’t help his stunned expression. “Howddaya know for sure, though?”

“’Cuz it was the only Time in my Life that I’ve been so sick, I’d to be put on a nebulizer,” she explained. “I mean, I’ma former smoker just like you and all, but no cold’s ever made me feel _that_ bad.”

“Well, unless ya tested positive on top of it…” the Silver Fox mused.

“Oh, I tested positive for it–I just never said it since I was over six months healthy at that point,” Raven laughed. “The doctors just decided that I musta been one of the earliest cases before it was public Knowledge, and I’m inclined to agree.”

“So am I,” he agreed with a nod. “But it explains why you’re so sympathetic toward Richie now, and why ya were when Zak came down with the shit.”

With a nod of her own, the brunette woman moved to finish up the last of their Ritual prep so they could actually get started on the Ritual in question. It was something that was a bit Time consuming, and she knew that he’d to get back in to his family sooner or later. After all, Zeph was gonna refuseta go to bed till he cuddled her for a while, and neither of them wanted to keep her up too late.

But focusing on the Ritual–which included adding their thanks for Richie’s quick recovery thus far–kept them from focusing on the negativity that was currently in all their Lives. They needed something elseta focus on till they could hit the road again, or Life trapped in their homes was gonna get pretty boring. Course, Reality still wasn’t that far away since they were all hoping and praying this tour’d be able to continue as planned. Not only that, but they were still working on being able to take Gunnar and Grayson with them, which made the whole situation stick in the forefront of their minds.

Once they’d rounded out their Ritual and cleaned up the remaining mess, the pair of best friends gave each other a quick hug before they headed their separate ways. Rob ran a hand through his hair as he headed back into his own house, a smile appearing as soon as he laid eyes on his younger daughter. Even when nothing else seemed to be going right in his Life, she managed to Light it up and make him smile like no one short of her mother could.

He just hoped that things’d more or less go back to normal after this tour and the wedding that’d follow at some point after it was concluded in mid-September.


	14. Fourteen

_August, 2021_

“Boys, c’mon! If y’all make me miss my flight, I’ma work your assesta the bone once we finally _do_ get to Florida!”

Rob stood at the foot of his stairs, not in the mood to make the trek up them, if he didn’t absolutely have to. He and the twins’d to get up before the crack of Dawn so they could make it to RDU on the far Western edge of Raleigh so they could catch their flight to Jacksonville. If they didn’t hurry up so they could make the hour and a-half drive, they’d never get checked in and through security before they missed their boarding call.

“We’re coming, Dad!” Grayson called, appearing at the top of the stairs moments later.

“I’d watch out so ya don’t get hit!” his twin added.

Knowing they were prolly about to toss their duffle bags down to collect once they reached the bottom, he quickly side-stepped.

“Look out below!” Gunnar laughed.

“If those weren’t duffle bags, I’d kick your asses for gouging my floors!” the Silver Fox chuckled, quickly nabbing the bags as they landed in the foyer.

“We know better than that!” the shorter twin told him as he galloped down.

“Mom already warned us that even though you’re pretty laid-back, ya like keeping things like that looking nice,” his brother agreed.

“’Cuz it’s a bitch to pull out damaged boards and feather in new ones so they look like they were all put in at the same Time,” Rob explained as they took their bags. “Had to do that in my Florida house before Zak took it over when we did some renovations, and lemme tell ya–Raven proved her word on that while barely lifting a finger to do it.”

“’Cuz I’d already done it a few Times!” said brunette woman laughed from where she waited by the front door. “I already knew how much of a bitch it is, so only _you_ needed it proven!”

After a quick head and bag count to make sure everybody who was leaving was, indeed gathered in the foyer and had everything they needed to take with them, the Silver Fox shooed everyone else out. He paused long enough to bid his goodbyesta his _fiancé_ and younger daughter, the latter of whom looked like she was gonna cry already. The good thing was that a promiseta call and make sure at least Mishy knew he’d landed safely so she could tell her staved off those tears–at least, for the moment. No doubt she’d cry for him sooner or later, but at least Zeph was letting him leave without pitching _too_ big a fit over it.

In the cab that was taking the quartet to one of the two airports in the area that dealt with even international flights, he heaved a sigh as he settled back. Even Gunnar and Grayson weren’t looking forward to the flight, if only ’cuz they’d never been on a plane, but they were glad the tour could continue as planned right from the start. While it’d be hard for them–particularly Raven since she’d be filling in for Richie at first–the main thing was that everyone was still relatively healthy right now.

Following a quick, hour and a-half flight into JAX in Jacksonville once they’d gotten checked in at RDU and through security, Rob, Raven, and the twins were just arriving at the band’s bus. They were the first arrivals aside from the band’s manager, Bert–everybody else was scattered out across pretty much every corner of the country. Most were Centered in California, although which half of the State was up for debate, depending on which person they were talking about. But there was even one crew member who’d decided to move to Alaska in recent Years, which meant he’d an even longer flight ahead of him before he could meet up with everyone.

Wanting to take advantage of the quiet Time, the Silver Fox herded the boys he’d now legally adopted onto his band’s bus. He was quick to point out whose bunk was whose so they wouldn’t make the mistake of claiming one of the guys’ bunks as their own. That’d never End very well, and he didn’t want anything getting started when they’d been doing so well ever since the tour’d kicked off. Aside from his former band mate’s illness, he wanted thingsta continue that way so they could End on a high note.

Once they were all settled for the Time being–his best friend was gonna be moving to The Winery Dogs’ bus once that band arrived–he heaved a sigh as he turned to head to the front lounge. He couldn’t help the urge to play for a bit, even though he was gonna be doing quite a bit of that in the coming Days. Then again, a memory refresher on Richie’s songs since he wasn’t as used to playing those couldn’t hurt anything. At least it’d give him something to do while they were waiting, not to mention be beneficial to their upcoming shows.

“We getting a private show, huh?”

Glancing up at the chuckled inquiry, Rob wasn’t surprised to see the twins emerging from the bunk room. “More like a practice session, but hey–call it whatever ya want.”

“Which one ya working on?” his best friend queried as she settled on the couch across from him.

“I was thinking _Twist of Fate_ since that’s not one I normally play,” he answered.

“Prolly a good idea,” Raven told him. “Ya put a lotta hard work into learning it in the first place, but you’re right about it _not_ being one of your norms.”

“Wait, which one’s that?” Gunnar asked, looking confused.

“Yeah, I don’t remember Poison having a song by _that_ title,” his twin agreed.

“It’s not a Poison tune,” the Silver Fox laughed, setting up his keyboard. “It’s one of Richie’s solo works.”

“Wait, why’re ya playing one of _his_ songs?” the taller teen queried.

“’Cuz it was a _trading favors_ sorta deal between us,” Rob explained. “I wanted to use the Poison tune _Be the One_ as a lead-in for my proposal since I Intended to do it onstage at the End of our Charlotte show. Problem is, the lead riff ain’t CC’s style, so I doubted he’d do very well on it.”

Even the shorter twin nodded, allowing him to continue.

“Not only that, but we needed someone on piano for the intro,” he continued. “Since it’s closer to Richie’s style than CC’s, I talked to him about covering those two parts.”

“Wait, he’s a pianist, too?” Grayson asked, looking surprised.

“He’s a one-man band, like Prince or Trent Reznor!” Raven laughed as she settled with her guitar. “He just can’t play all the parts he records when he’s on tour since he can’t play _all_ those instruments at once.”

Nodding his agreement as she checked her tuning, the Silver Fox admitted that it could be hard enough to switch between instruments when one’d to play more than one part in a song onstage. His biggest examples were the Poison songs _Something to Believe In_ and _Stand,_ the latter of which he and Rikki’d been helping their former band mate with this Time around. In one song, he’d to pick between piano and bass, or find a way to play both–in the other, he’d switched from acoustic guitar to bass way back when.

Both teens were enthralled, just like they were every Time Rob told a story about when he was recording or touring in the Past. However, they could both see the point that he was making when he said that pulling double-duty like that could be hard. After all, the person’d to remember multiple parts, and the Timing’d to be impeccable so they wouldn’t fuck up a song entirely.

Chuckling as he moved his hands into position, he told them that it wasn’t quite as hard as they prolly thought to manage such a thing, but it certainly wasn’t easy, either. Then again, that was exactly why bands spent at least a month–sometimes, longer than that–rehearsing before they embarked on a tour. It wasn’t all about relearning songs they hadn’t played in a while–it was equally about getting their Timing down, working out whatever kinks they could before they hit the road.

“No, it’s not exactly an enjoyable Time,” the Silver Fox chuckled. “There’s usually a lotta stress and tension from trying to make our shows as closeta perfect as possible–but it’s part of the job, and we still enjoy it somewhat.”

“It’s all worth it once you’re out on the stage for the real thing, and it all goes off without a hitch, right?” Gunnar queried with a chuckle of his own.

“Exactly, and any of the others’ll tell y’all the same thing,” Rob agreed, nodding.

“They’ve all got enough experienceta say whether he’s lying or telling the Truth,” his best friend laughed, cocking a brow when an unexpected knock sounded on the bus door. “I thought the others weren’t due out here yet?”

“They weren’t, as far as I know,” he said, his own brow furrowing as he got up to answer the door.

“Maybe one of ’em caught an earlier flight or something?” Grayson suggested.

“I’d say that’s the case,” the Silver Fox laughed, his grip gentle as he helped someone else onto the bus.

“Richie!” Raven gasped, all but throwing her guitar at the taller of the twins as she jumped up.

_“Sì, mia cara,”_ the multi-instrumentalist chuckled, sounding a bit winded as he broke away to hug her.

Fussing almost like a mother Hen, she was quick to guide him over to the couch so he could settle in the seat next to the one she’d claimed. While she was busy with that, Rob worked on getting his bags onto the bus since none of his own crew was there. Otherwise, he’d nowhere elseta stay for the next Day or two since The Winery Dogs’ driver’d the keys, which meant he couldn’t board his own bus without technically breaking and entering.

After catching his breath, Richie turned his attention to greeting the twins, who were just as thrilled to see him as when they’d made that overnight stop at the Dalls’ house. Naturally, they were concerned that he was pushing himself too much, too soon–just like his wife and the woman currently at his side were.

“Trust me, I know my limits well,” he assured them with a grin. “I’m not dumb enough to think I can take on lead vocals _and_ guitar all at once right now, even though I wanna.”

“Sounds like ya get too winded to even try right now,” Grayson mused.

“Yeah, walking long distances and stairs’re a challenge for me at the moment,” the multi-instrumentalist admitted. “Which’s why we worked it out so that Raven’d be covering me on vocals for at least the first few shows.”

“Damn, you’re seriously _that_ good?” the shorter twin queried, turning his attention to her.

“Son, she could fill in for Richie, then Bret back-to-back, and you’d never know the difference as long as they were actually onstage and at least lip-syncing,” Rob chuckled. “Get her started on impersonating her mom and one of the chicks who fronted her dad’s band in the Past, and it gets even better.”

Even the taller twin gaped at her.

“Ever heard of Lacuna Coil?” Raven queried with a grin.

“Uh, can’t say that we have,” Gunnar answered as he shook his head.

“Italian goth Metal band from Milan, Italy,” she told them, still grinning. “My mom–like, _Birth_ mom–is their co-leading lady, Cristina Scabbia.”

Not even Richie could stop his eyes from widening when she admitted that.

“There’s a handful of songs by ’em that’re total duets,” the brunette woman continued. “As deep as Andi’s voice is, you’d think Rob’d have to cover that part for me.”

“Wait, who’s Andi?” Grayson asked, looking confused.

“Lacuna Coil’s co-front man, Andrea Ferro,” Raven answered, laughing. “But pretty much everybody calls him Andi, ’cuz if ya saw his name written out, you’d think it was supposed to be pronounced _An-dree-uh,_ like the girls’ name.”

_“Ohhhh,”_ they breathed in unison, nodding.

“The Finnish symphonic Metal band, Nightwish, was started by my dad–as in, _Birth_ dad,” she Revealed with a grin. “Daddy’s as tone-deaf as it gets, but his bassist–Marco– _can_ carry a tune in a five-gallon bucket.”

“And Marco’s as deep a voice as Andi, right?” Gunnar queried.

“More or less,” the brunette woman answered with a nod of her own. “It’s kinda like comparing Bret and Richie, as long as they both stay in the lower End of their ranges–sound pretty similar, if ya don’t account for accents, one having a clearer Sound while the other sounds blusier, etc.”

“Since her parents and their respective band mates that also cover vocals more or less trained her, it standsta reason that she’d have an incredible vocal range,” her best friend chuckled. “And that she could impersonate just about anybody, if she put her mind to it.”

Grinning as she took her guitar back from Richie–who looked like he wanted to keep and play it, himself–Raven settled to put her money where her mouth was. After all, they’d been about to rip into _Twist of Fate_ as much for practice as outta boredom, and she was still Intent on doing that. The difference was that now, it’d kill yet another Bird with the same Stone, so to speak, by proving what they meant to the twins.

Said teens watched as she ripped into the intro riff without waiting to be counted in, which wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked. One of the things the man sitting next to her was known for was his incredible ability to finger-pick with even his thumb. He could even use his pinky, depending on what he was Intent on playing at any given Time, and most guitarists damn sure couldn’t do that.

Both Gunnar’s and Grayson’s jaws dropped when she took a deep breath and launched into the vocals roughly fourteen seconds after she started playing. Her voice sounded a lot more phlegmy than it’d sounded just moments ago while they were talking. At the same Time, it woulda been hard to tell if the brunette woman was male or female, if they’d been listening to a recording. She could shoot up to hit notes that woulda made any guy sound like they were singing in falsetto, then drop back down to a more masculine range with very lil effort. Or at least, it appeared to be very lil effort to an outside party who didn’t know her or her technique very well.

Rob couldn’t help a grin as they finally reached the mark where the guitar riff fell Silent for those ten seconds or so where one heard only piano. His playing was just as flawless as it’d been the entire tour, even though this was far from his normal style. But judging by the look on the multi-instrumentalist’s face when he glanced up from under his lashes, he was still doing just as well as during their pre-tour rehearsals. Not only that, but the boys he’d adopted during this last break were just as amazed as when his best friend had started the lead riff a few minutes ago.

All three of the adults couldn’t help laughing as they soon rounded out the song, although Richie couldn’t help a short coughing fit. Whether they’d set out to blow the twins’ minds or not, they’d done just that, and that was part of what made being a musician so much fun for them. Expression of various things was one of the biggest parts, but they wouldn’t continue doing this shit, if it wasn’t enjoyable for them. That was how pretty much any Art form was, though–if it wasn’t enjoyable, one eventually stopped doing it and never took it up again. Otherwise, they’d just take a break from a particular Art form and go back to it again in the Future, rather than trying to force themselvesta do something. It was doing the latter that oft made folks get burnt-out even quicker, which both rockers could attest to.

Setting instruments aside for the moment, though, they agreed that it was better to just chill out and continue relaxing while they could. Once the rest of the bands arrived, things were gonna get wild and crazy for the next month and a-half, like it or not. The multi-instrumentalist could use all the rest and relaxation he could get, if he wanted to get back to fully fronting his band again, and they knew it.


End file.
